Vilnius, October 23 (ELTA) – Six people suspected of involvement in smuggling cigarettes from Belarus into Lithuania using balloons were detained during an operation in Kėdainiai on Thursday, the State Border Guard Service (VSAT) said.

The VSAT said border guards initially staked out a private house in Kėdainiai, central Lithuania.

They watched as two men arrived at the property in a Mercedes-Benz with Lithuanian number plates. The men were later identified as residents of Šalčininkai.

Two other men, both residents of Kėdainiai municipality who were already at the property, began unloading boxes of cigarettes from the car. The border guards then moved in and detained all four men, who offered no resistance.

The men from Šalčininkai had brought boxes of Belarusian cigarettes in the car. Preliminary information suggests that the cigarettes had been flown in from Belarus by balloon.

Shortly afterwards, border guards taking part in the operation stopped another Mercedes-Benz with Lithuanian number plates in Kėdainiai and detained its two occupants, both residents of Šalčininkai district. They are suspected of having escorted the seized contraband shipment.

During a search of the house in Kėdainiai, VSAT officers found more boxes of Belarusian cigarettes, also suspected of having been flown in by balloon. The exact number of cigarette packs seized is still being established.

During the search, border guards also found white powder wrapped in a EUR 20 banknote. The substance, suspected to be a narcotic, will be examined by experts.

VSAT has opened a pre-trial investigation into the unlawful handling of goods subject to excise duty. The offence carries a fine or up to eight years in prison.

VSAT said all six detainees had been placed in custody.

According to VSAT, a total of 181 cigarette shipments smuggled by balloon from Belarus into Lithuania have been intercepted this year. There were 635 such interceptions in the whole of last year and 226 in 2024.

Lithuanian border guards have also forced 67 smugglers’ drones to land this year. Drones are also used to transport illicit cigarettes from Belarus into Lithuania. Last year, 59 such drones carrying contraband were intercepted, compared with 54 in 2024.

Vilnius, October 23 (ELTA) – Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys met with Estonian Economy and Industry Minister Liina Vahtras in Dublin on Friday to discuss European Union trade policy priorities, strengthening transatlantic economic ties, economic security and a common EU position on responding to challenges posed by China, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

During the meeting, Budrys stressed that the Baltic States must act together to maintain a strong, forward-looking trade partnership between the EU and the United States.

The ministers also discussed strengthening Europe’s economic resilience and measures that would help protect European industry from unfair competition and reduce strategic dependencies.

Budrys and his Estonian counterpart also discussed establishing a working party on economic security within the Council of the EU.

Budrys said this would allow for more consistent coordination on economic security and strengthen the EU’s ability to respond promptly to emerging risks and economic shocks.

The ministers also discussed the need to expand the EU’s network of free trade agreements and seek new opportunities for European businesses. A more resilient and competitive Europe that is more open to trade is important for both economic growth and Europe’s long-term security, Budrys said.

Vilnius, October 23 (ELTA) – Lithuanian Airports (LTOU) has announced that in the coming winter season, Vilnius Airport will offer scheduled flights to 48 destinations, Kaunas Airport to 15 and Palanga Airport to 6. The total number of scheduled and charter routes will reach 74.

“This winter, 20 European capitals will be directly accessible from Vilnius, and flights to some of Europe’s main aviation hubs will become more frequent. Our goal is to enable people to travel safely and conveniently, help businesses reach international partners more easily, and make Lithuania increasingly accessible from abroad,” Minister of Transport and Communications Juras Taminskas said in a statement.

Direct flights from Vilnius to Geneva will begin on 2 January 2027. The new route will operate once a week until the end of the skiing season, in late March.

Flight frequencies from Vilnius Airport are also set to increase. Compared with last winter, there will be an average of four additional flights per week to Warsaw and Helsinki, and one additional weekly flight to each of Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Stockholm and Brussels.

More flights are also planned from Kaunas, with two additional weekly flights to Edinburgh and one each to London, Liverpool, Alicante and Stockholm. Flights from Palanga to Copenhagen will also become more frequent.

Wizz Air, the Hungarian low-cost airline, will also resume flights to Grenoble as part of the winter schedule. Passengers will continue to have direct connections to Turin in Italy, Zurich in Switzerland and Munich in Germany.

Flights to Tenerife and Sharm el-Sheikh return

From Vilnius, scheduled flights will be available to Barcelona, Malaga, Malta, Larnaca and Dubai. Scheduled flights to Tenerife will also return to the winter timetable.

Passengers travelling from Kaunas will be able to choose direct flights to three southern European destinations: Alicante and Malaga in Spain, and Paphos in Cyprus.

Special charter flights will expand the range of holiday destinations. From Vilnius, these are planned to Antalya, a resort in Turkey; Tenerife in Spain; and Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt.

Charter flights to Sharm el-Sheikh will operate from all three Lithuanian airports this winter.

More European capitals accessible

The statement added that 20 European capitals would be directly accessible from Vilnius this season, up from 18 last winter. Prague and Reykjavik, which were added to Vilnius Airport’s route network last summer, will remain on the winter schedule.

Flights to Reykjavik will operate more frequently during December, with three services per week.

Wizz Air flights from Vilnius to Gdansk, launched in the summer, will also continue during the winter season. During the Christmas period, Norwegian will operate flights from Palanga to Bergen.

The 2026–2027 aviation winter season will run until 27 March 2027.

Vilnius, October 23 (ELTA) – Former President Valdas Adamkus continues to receive treatment and care at Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Clinics, the hospital said on Friday.

“Taking into account the president’s overall health, his treatment and care are continuing at Santaros Clinics,” the hospital said in a statement.

The President’s Office previously reported that Adamkus had undergone surgery at Santaros Clinics after his health deteriorated.

He became unwell on September 26 and was hospitalised.

As previously reported, the former president was most recently admitted to Santaros Clinics earlier this year, on 5 January.

Adamkus will celebrate his 100th birthday on 3 November.

Vilnius, October 23 (ELTA) – On 23 October, Minister of Foreign Affairs Kęstutis Budrys is attending an informal meeting of EU trade ministers in Dublin, Ireland, reports the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

One of the key topics of the meeting is the EU’s trade relations with China and the United States. Speaking to journalists ahead of the meeting, Budrys said that the key theme of the discussions was economic security.

“We need to address China’s hostile policies, which challenge not only market practices but also our fundamental principles and our economic security. We need to be very clear that strategic vigilance is a prerequisite for better policy. On our side, this means using trade defence instruments, diversifying and deterring further action by China,” Budrys said.

According to the minister, Europe must answer the question of whether it will retain control over strategic sectors such as pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, drones and quantum technologies. Stressing that Europe needs reliable partners, Budrys identified the United States as Europe’s natural partner.

“Our businesses are asking for clarity, a clear EU position and transparency. In our negotiations with the United States, we need to broaden tariff exemptions and also find solutions on aluminium and steel,” the minister said.

According to Budrys, global partnerships are key to Europe’s diversification. 

“Trade must remain open, but we cannot allow it to become a source of vulnerability,” the minister stressed.

Vilnius, October 23 (ELTA) – Suspected smuggled cigarettes were found in two cars stopped in Jurbarkas and Tauragė districts over the past 24 hours, police said.

Tauragė County Police said officers stopped a VW Passat driven by a man born in 1976 at around 11:25 am on Thursday in the Paverkalnis village area, in the Skaudvilė eldership of Tauragė district. During a check, they found and seized cigarettes being transported illegally.

The driver, a resident of Pagėgiai, was carrying 2,200 packs of cigarettes without the excise stamps required by the Lithuanian Government. The cigarettes are worth more than EUR 10,000.

Marijampolė police said officers stopped a Honda driven by a man born in 1994 for a check at around 8:50 pm on Thursday in Eržvilkas village, Jurbarkas district. More than 3,000 packs of cigarettes without the markings required by the Lithuanian Government were found in the boot.

Police have opened pre-trial investigations into the unlawful handling of goods subject to excise duty.

Vilnius, October 23 (ELTA) – Former Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė has criticised Finance Minister Taurimas Valys and questioned his competence. The MP from the Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrat party (TS-LKD) says Social Democratic Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius’ decision to keep Valys in office could have negative consequences not only for the Government’s reputation but also for Lithuanian taxpayers.

“That probably depends on how much the prime minister is willing to damage his reputation by having an incompetent finance minister. If, for some reason, he finds that more convenient than having someone competent, things could drift on like this until the end of the term,” Šimonytė told the radio station Žinių radijas on Friday when asked whether Valys could face any consequences for his performance.

“The cost of this will be quite high. The cost will be reputational for the Government, the Social Democrats and the prime minister, but Lithuanian taxpayers will also pay a high price,” she stressed.

The former prime minister said managing public finances required not only political decisions but also an understanding of the country’s overall financial position.

“As a former finance minister, I can say this: if you do not know your numbers, if you do not understand proportions, if you do not know what the public finances really look like as a whole, it is very hard to avoid doing something foolish,” said the MP.

Šimonytė also criticised the draft 2027 state budget approved by the Government and the prime minister’s stance on the projected general government deficit.

She said that by backing the draft budget, the prime minister was taking responsibility for its consequences, even if he did not want to engage in discussions about spending cuts.

Šimonytė also rejected the Social Democrats’ arguments that next year’s state budget was focused on people’s needs. She said assessing the budget required looking not only at planned spending but also at how it would be financed.

“The budget is funded by the people, because it is the people who pay the taxes and bear the debt. All of this comes from the people,” she stressed.

Commenting on the finance minister’s suggestions for possible tax changes, Šimonytė doubted that the current Government would be prepared to take significant measures to reduce the budget deficit.

Finance Minister Valys previously raised the possibility of higher excise duties on tobacco and alcohol, as well as higher taxes on gambling and on polluting and expensive cars. He has also not ruled out changes to property tax or a review of fuel excise duties.

However, Šimonytė said isolated tax changes would not be enough to address the growing state budget deficit.

The politician predicted that the next Government, to be formed after the 2028 parliamentary election, might have to deal with the consequences of the current Government’s decisions.

As previously reported, Valys presented the draft 2027 state budget to parliament on 20 October.

The state budget is debated twice in plenary sessions and is also examined by parliamentary committees, with the Committee on Budget and Finance taking the lead. Nearly all parliamentary committees must submit their proposals by 10 November.

The first debate on the 2027 budget is scheduled for 19 November and the second for 1 December.

State budget revenue next year is projected at EUR 22.2 billion, including funding from the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) and other EU sources, up EUR 1.089 billion (5.2%) from this year’s draft budget. Expenditure is projected at EUR 27.9 billion, up EUR 362.9 million (1.3%).

Under the draft, next year’s budget deficit would exceed the established limits, reaching 3.8% of gross domestic product (GDP), while public debt would stand at 48.2% of GDP.

The Maastricht criteria set limits for euro area countries of 3% of GDP for the budget deficit and 60% of GDP for public debt.

Luxembourg, October 23 (ELTA) – In 2025, the EU’s Gini coefficient was 29.2, down slightly from 29.4 in 2024, reports Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.

The Gini coefficient measures how income is distributed within a country compared with a situation of a perfectly equal distribution. A value of 0 represents perfect equality, where everyone has the same income, while a value of 100 indicates complete inequality, where one person receives all the income.

Across EU countries in 2025, the Gini coefficient ranged from 23.0 in Slovakia to 37.7 in Bulgaria.

After Slovakia, the countries with the most equal income distribution were Belgium (23.4), Czechia (24.0), Slovenia (24.6) and Poland (24.9). 

At the other end of the distribution, Bulgaria was followed by Latvia (35.6) and Lithuania (35.5). 

Vilnius, October 23 (ELTA) – The Centre of Registers has restored all its main and most widely used online services for residents and businesses, although some clients still face restrictions. The company said on Friday that it expected to restore data services in full over the weekend.

The Centre of Registers said it had restored key services after implementing the necessary software changes and conducting security tests. However, upgrades to the systems used to provide data are still under way.

The company said it had around 20,000 contracts to supply clients with data from its registers. Access to this data is being restored gradually, following checks to ensure the updated systems are functioning properly and are secure.

The Centre of Register’s CEO Vytautas Bitinas said the scale of its IT systems meant more time was needed to update them and ensure their security.

“We have already restored the main services for residents and businesses, and we will continue the remaining work over the weekend,” he added.

As reported, the centre suspended online services on Wednesday evening as a precaution, in response to warnings from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and information published internationally about a security vulnerability in PHP code.

Vilnius, October 23 (ELTA) – The state-owned armaments factory Giraitės ginkluotės gamykla (GGG) has unveiled the first automatic rifles it has assembled as it expands into weapons assembly and maintenance, the Ministry of Finance said in a statement. The company also aims to manufacture rifle components in Lithuania in the future.

Finance Minister Taurimas Valys said the development of the defence industry should not only strengthen Lithuania’s military security but also create long-term economic value.

“Investment in defence must strengthen military security and create long-term economic value. We aim to expand Lithuania’s technological expertise, pool of specialists and production capacity for the defence industry. This would help strengthen the country’s resilience,” Valys said at the unveiling of GGG’s automatic rifles.

The ministry said the company would initially focus on staff training, preparing infrastructure and testing the assembled rifles.

At a later stage, the company plans to develop industrial-scale weapons assembly, repair capabilities and specialist training to meet the needs of Lithuania’s defence and security institutions.

GGG has been producing ammunition for Lithuania’s defence needs for more than two decades. Its products are exported to more than 30 countries.

In recent years, the company has invested in ammunition-making and other production equipment, and has also unveiled an anti-drone round designed for use with standard NATO weapons.