Vilnius, April 28 (ELTA) – President Gitanas Nausėda sees a lack of political determination in tackling children’s use of mobile phones in schools, his chief social policy adviser said on Tuesday.

He said that while there are proposals to ban social media use for those under 16, restrictions on mobile phones in educational institutions remain largely recommendatory.

“We see a clear vacuum of political will. On the one hand, there are proposals from the opposition to allow children from the age of 16 to use social networks. On the other, laws adopted in the Seimas state that the use of mobile phones in schools should be regulated, but in practice these measures remain only recommendatory,” Vaidas Augustinavičius told Žinių radijas.

He said there was a certain imbalance in the situation in the country. 

“How can we, as a small state, consider banning social networks if we are not even able to resolve what is essentially a simpler issue — restricting mobile phone use in primary and secondary schools? In the president’s view, the situation regarding mobile phones should be assessed more strictly, and there should be stronger political will,” he said.

The Seimas in early April began considering amendments to ban social media use for children under 16.

The proposal, drafted by MP Daiva Ulbinaitė of the Homeland Union–Lithuanian Christian Democrats (TS-LKD), passed its first reading with 65 votes in favour and nine abstentions.

If adopted, the law would allow minors under 16 to access social media only with parental consent.

The draft will now be reviewed by several parliamentary committees before returning to the full Seimas in mid-June. The Government’s opinion is also pending.

Lawmakers have also backed separate amendments to the Law on Education requiring schools to set rules on mobile phone use by September.

Currently, schools set their own policies, as national legislation does not regulate the use of mobile phones or other digital devices in educational institutions.

Vilnius, April 28 (ELTA) – Vinted Group (Vinted), the C2C second-hand marketplace, on Monday completed a secondary share transaction of EUR 880 million, at an equity valuation of EUR 8 billion, the company said in a statement.

The transaction involved a mix of new and existing investors, led by EQT, Schroders Capital, and Teachers’ Venture Growth (TVG), the late-stage venture investment platform of Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan.

“The transaction rewards employees for their contribution and provides liquidity for existing institutional investors. All major investors remain significantly invested in Vinted. It strengthens and broadens the company’s investor base with institutional, long-term investors that can hold across private and public markets,” the statement reads.

TVG and Schroders Capital join as new shareholders, with Schroders Capital having been an indirect investor since 2018. 

A number of other high-profile financial institutions are also participating. New investors include funds and accounts managed by BlackRock, Lombard Odier Investment Managers and Pinegrove Opportunity Partners. Baillie Gifford is one of a number of existing investors choosing to increase their positions.

“This transaction and valuation reflect the progress we’ve made building Vinted into what it is today - a proven marketplace embedded in an ecosystem of vertically integrated shipping and payments infrastructure, designed to make second-hand reliable, easy and affordable at scale,” says Thomas Plantenga, CEO of Vinted Group.

In 2025, Vinted grew GMV by 47% YoY to EUR 10.8bn, generating EUR 1.1bn in annual revenue and EUR 62 million in net profits, in 26 markets. 

Vinted is not raising any new primary capital in this transaction. The company said it has a strong balance sheet and has been cash flow positive for several years, giving it the capacity to invest in growth from its existing resources. 

Goldman Sachs International served as sole placement agent for the transaction. Cooley provided legal advice to Vinted.

Vilnius, April 27 (ELTA) – Logistics and technology company Omniva has resumed parcel delivery to countries of the Middle East.

According to the company, although shipments to most destinations are already delivered normally, yet the ongoing conflict in the region is still affecting logistics processes and delivery times. It is noted that shipments to Kuwait may be delayed, and the availability of services there remains limited.

Omniva Chief Commercial Officer Sven Kukemelk notes that the company is closely cooperating with international logistics partners to minimise disruptions and gradually restore normal service.

He says customers sending parcels to this region are advised to take potential delays into account and to follow the latest information on the company’s website.

Parcel delivery to the Middle East had been temporarily suspended due to the security situation in the region.

Vilnius, April 27 (ELTA) – Minister of Foreign Affairs Kęstutis Budrys on Monday met with Dato Erywan Pehin Yusof, minister of foreign affairs of Brunei Darussalam.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the meeting was held commemorating the 25th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between Lithuania and Brunei.

At the meeting, the ministers discussed bilateral cooperation, focusing on businesses ties, universities and strengthening people-to-people contacts.

Minister Budrys said that the Southeast Asian region is an important partner, while cooperation opens up new opportunities in the areas of cyber and energy security, and governmental digital services.

The head of Lithuania’s diplomacy invited Brunei to join the Vilnius Convention, the Council of Europe Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights, Democracy, and the Rule of Law,

The ministers also discussed the situation of international security and the importance of preserving the global order based on international law.

It was noted that Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and the recent blockade of the Strait of Hormuz clearly proved how everything is closely interrelated in the global world and instability or war in one region affects everyone. Therefore, Minister Budrys stressed that like-minded countries must cooperate.

The foreign minister also invited Brunei to support Ukraine during voting at the United Nations General Assembly.

As reported, the foreign minister is paying a working visit to Brunei Darussalam on 26–28 April, where he is attending the 25th ASEAN-EU Ministerial Meeting.

Vilnius, April 28 (ELTA) – NATO Air Policing fighter jets were scrambled five times from 20 to 26 April, in response to violations of international flight regulations made by Russian aircraft, according to a statement from the Ministry of National Defence.

On 20 April, the NATO Air Policing Detachment were scrambled three times. First, they took off to identify two TU-22s, two SU-30s and two SU-35s that flew through international airspace from mainland Russia and back. The planes had their onboard transponders switched off, they flew without flight plans and did not communicate with the regional air traffic control centre. 

On the same day, NATO jets also took off to identify two TU-22s, two SU-30s and two SU-35s that flew through international airspace from mainland Russia and back. The Russian planes had their onboard transponders switched off, they flew without flight plans and did not respond to queries from the air traffic control.

Separately, on the same Monday last week, NATO aircraft were dispatched to identify a SU-30S which was flying via international space from Kaliningrad Region and back with its transponder turned off, with no flight plan and without communication with the air traffic control.

On 21 April, NATO fighter aircraft were alerted to one IL-20 flying from mainland Russia to Kaliningrad with its onboard transponder switched off, without the flight plan, but maintaining radio communication. 

On 22 April, NATO fighter jets responded to identify two SU-30Ss flying via international airspace from Kaliningrad and back. Both crews kept their onboard transponders switched off, had no flight plans and did not maintain radio communication.

On the same day, an IL-18 was also intercepted. The plane was flying from mainland Russia via international airspace to Kaliningrad. Its crew had no flight plan but its onboard transponder was switched on, and it did maintain radio communication with the air traffic control. 

The NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic States is flown from the Lithuanian Air Force Base in Šiauliai. Other detachments deployed to Latvia, Poland and Estonia augment the NATO Baltic Air Policing.

Vilnius, April 28 (ELTA) – The State Border Guard Service (VSAT) said Tuesday there were no foreign nationals trying to cross illegally from Belarus into Lithuania over the past day, 27 April.

Latvia’s border agency reported that its officers turned back 35 migrants at the border with Belarus on Monday. Poland said no foreigners tried to enter the country illegally from Belarus a day earlier.

Lithuanian border guards have blocked 612 foreign nationals who attempted to cross illegally from Belarus so far this year. The overall figure for 2025 was 1,652.

Vilnius, April 27 (ELTA) – The information technology (IT) and telecommunications company Telia will invest EUR 5 million euros this year, which will be used to bring fibre‑optic internet to nearly 8,000 new homes in Lithuania.

The company reported Monday that the network expansion is mostly planned in Vilnius, Kaunas and Klaipėda districts, where new houses are built.

According to Lina Bandzinė, head of private clients at Telia, one of the European Union’s strategic goals is to expand access to 1‑gigabit‑per‑second internet across the EU, whereas fibre‑optic networks make it possible to achieve stable, high speeds, which are increasingly important for working from home, watching high‑definition content, or communicating.

Over the past year, data traffic in Telia’s network has increased by about 15 percent, which raises the need to strengthen network capacities and expand fibre optic infrastructure.

In areas where a fibre-optic cable cannot be laid, the company is strengthening mobile communication. According to the Communications Regulatory Authority (RRT), Telia’s 5G network covers 99.7% of Lithuania.

In the first quarter of 2026, Telia internet services revenue increased by 3.8% to EUR 21.3 million.

Vilnius, April 27 (ELTA) – The SBA group’s investment management company Capitalica Asset Management is entering an active development phase of a 7.2-hectare mixed-use district in the Latvian capital. Lithuanian investors will also have the opportunity to contribute to the project’s financing, SBA said in a press release.

Capitalica Residential, a real estate development company managed by Capitalica Asset Management, is consolidating a plot of land in the south-western part of Riga on Lielirbes Street, near the sought-after Āgenskalns district.

The company is acquiring a site of more than 7 hectares from SBA Urban. Once construction permits are obtained, development of the EUR 300 million project – covering a total area of more than 100,000 sqm – will begin in phases as early as next year. Together with investments in the Verde office complex, Capitalica Asset Management’s total investments in Riga will reach EUR 500 million.

“As part of the SBA Group, we have long worked alongside Capitalica, which has been successfully operating in Riga and developing distinctive projects here. Therefore, transferring further development opportunities into our colleagues’ hands was a timely decision. We do not doubt that the team will create a project we will be proud of across the entire group,” says Mantas Kuncaitis, CEO of SBA Urban.

A Paupys-scale district in Riga

The main function of the new Riga district will be residential; however, the area will include commercial spaces, public and community facilities, a kindergarten, a clinic and more. The scale of the development is comparable to the conversion of the Paupys district in Vilnius.

The project already has a master plan, prepared by one of the world’s largest architecture and urban design firms, Gensler, in cooperation with Latvian partners Vilnis Mičulis Arhitekti. The site has been divided into several plots and corresponding development phases.

The first construction permits are expected within the next year, during which more detailed architectural and technical aspects of the project will be finalised. Capitalica Asset Management aims to begin the first construction works in the second quarter of 2027.

A transformation set to reshape a part of the city

According to Capitalica Asset Management CEO Andrius Barštys, the decision to invest significantly in Riga was driven by the still-limited supply of high-quality housing in the city. The scale of the project will also enable comprehensive urban and infrastructure development.

“Examples abroad and in Lithuania show that large-scale urban transformations create the greatest value for residents and investors. Projects of this size allow us to think not only about function or architecture, but also about urban planning – a ‘city within a city’ – with complementary services located close to homes, creating value not only within the district itself but far beyond its boundaries,” says Andrius Barštys.

He also highlights the project’s strategic location: well-positioned midway between Riga’s Old Town and the airport, along the arterial yet pedestrian-friendly Lielirbes Street, and close to suburban rail connections and the future Rail Baltica line. The development is near the established retail and service complex and Spice shopping centre, and borders the calm and attractive Āgenskalns neighbourhood. Surrounding areas have already seen ongoing and planned projects by experienced Latvian developers, further confirming the strong potential of this part of the city.

Ambitious expansion in Riga inspired by positive experience

Capitalica Asset Management has already developed the first phase of the prestigious business centre Verde, consisting of two buildings. The complex has become a flagship of modern architecture in Riga, attracting high-profile tenants and receiving multiple sustainability awards. The company has recently begun developing two additional buildings within the Verde project which, once completed, will bring the total area of the complex to 77,000 sqm. Investments in Verde are expected to reach EUR 200 million in the near future.

Lithuanian investors will also have the opportunity to participate in financing the Lielirbė project. The company BeMyBond will soon launch a bond issuance to finance the land acquisition. The project will also be funded through shareholder equity, loans and bank financing from Bigbank.

Capitalica Asset Management was established in Lithuania in 2016 as part of the SBA Group. The company manages assets worth more than EUR 260 million. It operates in the real estate sector across the Baltic states, developing and managing commercial property projects to deliver long-term, stable returns for investors. It also has strong capital markets experience, having issued and successfully redeemed bonds totalling more than EUR 52 million.

Vilnius, April 27 (ELTA) – Lithuania’s electricity transmission system operator Litgrid as of July will no longer cover housing rent costs and utility bills for Ukrainian war refugees. Until now, Litgrid used to pay for the accommodation of families of Ukrainian energy company Ukrenergo employees who lost their homes due to the Russian invasion, reports public broadcaster LRT.

After the change of Litgrid leadership in February 2026, it was decided to end this kind of assistance. This will affect 30 Ukrainian families.

Litgrid CEO Andrius Šemeškevičius told LRT that the company is not obliged to continue this voluntary assistance perpetually.

However, former CEO Rokas Masiulis stressed that when the company’s budget was approved, Ukrainian refugees were assured that funding for rent would be guaranteed throughout 2026.
Litgrid later sent a statement to LRT noting that the situation changed last year and many Ukrainians were renting housing on their own, whereas national accommodation initiatives are also winding down.

The company noted that it continues supporting Ukraine in other forms, such as constant humanitarian aid in the form of donations of equipment and other vital measures. Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Litgrid has donated new equipment valued over EUR 20 million.

The company said an agreement on the issue had been reached with Ukraine’s energy company Ukrenergo.

Based on the latest agreement, housing rent agreement with the landlord was scheduled to end on 11 April, however, according to Litgrid, a three-month transitional period was agreed so that Ukrainian families could find new homes.

Minister of Energy Žygimantas Vaičiūnas has stressed that the company’s support for Ukraine would not decrease.

Support for housing rent and utilities cost Litgrid over EUR 200,000 per year.

Vilnius, April 27 (ELTA) – ELTA Brief provides a concise overview of the key events of Monday, 27 April, in Lithuania and around the world.

The Court of Appeal has overturned the earlier ruling and acquitted MEP Petras Gražulis of contempt of LGBTQ individuals. Although the court concluded that the politician’s public statements made in 2022 were demeaning and insulting, this could not be subject to criminal liability. On Monday, President Gitanas Nausėda signed a law enabling roads renovated under public and private partnerships to be temporarily managed by private businesses. His adviser says this will accelerate the reconstruction of overpasses and bridges in critical condition. Among other major news, the Prosecutor General’s Office has frozen two properties owned by ex-Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas and his wife Ilma Paluckė.

LITHUANIAN POLITICAL NEWS

The Court of Appeal on Monday fully acquitted MEP Petras Gražulis after overturning his conviction for contempt against LGBTQ people. The court said Gražulis’ public remarks were degrading and offensive, but did not meet the threshold for criminal liability. In October 2025, Vilnius Regional Court found Gražulis guilty of disparaging LGBTQ people and imposed a EUR 10,000 fine on him, in line with prosecutors’ request. MEP Gražulis stood trial for insulting gay people, calling them degenerate and saying that they “spread venereal diseases”. The incident occurred in May 2022, when the Seimas considered a bill on same-sex civil union. After approaching a group of LGBT individuals in the Parliament, he told them to read the Bible as “God created the man and the woman” and called members of the LGBT community “degenerate”. Gražulis insisted that he had not intended to disparage homosexuals but had merely quoted the Holy Scriptures.

Lithuania and Armenia plan to sign a strategic partnership declaration. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this could be done during Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė’s visit to Yerevan in early May. The declaration would set out plans to deepen political ties and upgrade the bilateral intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation into a European integration commission, and explore ways of closer cooperation in defence and security, the economy and energy, and education, science and culture. The ministry said the declaration would send an important political signal ahead of Armenia’s parliamentary election and underline Lithuania’s continued engagement in the South Caucasus. The draft declaration still requires the Government’s approval. 

An agreement on political consultations between Lithuania and Laos was signed in Brunei. Minister of Foreign Affairs Kęstutis Budrys signed the agreement with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Laos Thongsavanh Phomvihane. The document, signed on the sidelines of the ASEAN-EU Ministerial Meeting, consolidates the parties’ ambition to strengthen political dialogue and expand cooperation. According to Budrys, Lithuania is ready to contribute to the implementation of secure and resilient digital government systems in Laos and to share the accumulated experience in the fields of information and communication technology development and strengthening of cyber security. The minister also emphasised Lithuania’s expert potential in contributing to the ASEAN Power Grid initiative and the development of renewable energy in Southeast Asia.

Law enforcement officers have uncovered an assassination plot in Lithuania, whereby it was planned to kill Valdas Bartkevičius, a Lithuanian man raising funds for Ukraine and criticising the Kremlin, and Ruslan Gabasov, a Russian opposition activist residing in Lithuania. Thirteen suspects have been identified in an assassination plot of the two individuals in Lithuania and terrorist crimes. Nine of them are in Lithuania and 7 have been arrested. Two of the suspects are abroad and their extradition proceedings are ongoing. Just one suspect is a citizen of Lithuania while others are citizens of Moldova, Greece, Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Latvia and Georgia. A large-scale international operation was held at the start of this year in cooperation with Polish, Ukrainian and Greek law enforcement officers. Suspects linked to organising and carrying out criminal acts were detained. The investigation also revealed direct links between the perpetrators and the individuals who ordered the killings, acting in the interests of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

The Panevėžys Reginal Court has convicted Panevėžys resident Ernestas Mečkauskas of killing a Polish football fan in July 2024. The tragedy leading to a criminal case happened on 23 July 2024. After a football match between Polish football club Jagiellonia Bialystok and local football club Panevėžys, an aggressive 39-year-old Polish football fan was involved in an altercation with Mečkauskas. The latter punched the Polish fan in the jaw, leading him to fall hitting his head on concrete pavers. The Lithuanian man and another person who was with him fled the scene. The victim was taken to hospital but left it before a doctor could examine him. Police officers later spotted the Polish man with bruises on his face at a bus stop and took him to hospital, where he was operated on but died three weeks later. Mečkauskas was detained the next day after the incident and pleaded guilty.

Six Lithuanian communities abroad appealed to the Board of the Seimas and the Commission of the Seimas and the Lithuanian World Community demanding that an MP of Nemunas Dawn party would not be allowed to lead the Commission. They demanded that a lawmaker from another party of the ruling coalition would be appointed instead. They argue that the actions and moral values of the Nemunas Dawn party, which currently leads the Commission, not only harm the Lithuanian state, but also contradict the civic position of Lithuanian communities. The letter cites the Nemunas Dawn position in a vote concerning a new military training area in Kapčiamiestis and the Central Electoral Commission’s (VRK) findings that the party grossly violated the law when renting a vehicle from its leader, as well as views of some of its members about Hungary’s long-serving Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Meanwhile, Nemunas Dawn’s MP Karolis Neimantas, who leads the Commission of the Seimas and the Lithuanian Word Community, claimed that concrete arguments were lacking why he should step down from the position and he refuses not resign.

The Prosecutor General’s Office has placed a freeze on the real estate of former Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas. This was announced on Monday by the investigative journalism centre Siena. According to the data of the Real Estate Register, two real estate objects of the family of MP Paluckas and his wife Ilma Paluckė have been frozen, including the apartments in Verkiai Park, on Trinapolio Street. According to Siena, the measures were imposed last Friday. On the same day, the Prosecutor General’s Office placed a freeze on another property of the former prime minister’s family – an apartment at an address on Lviv Street. As reported, last week the Seimas received a request from Prosecutor General Nida Grunskienė to lift MP Paluckas’ immunity from prosecution. The prosecutor’s office alleges that the politician and his spouse might have unlawfully obtained assets amounting to nearly EUR 345,000, including high-value real estate.

LITHUANIAN BUSINESS NEWS

The president has signed a law that will allow roads that are being renovated under public-private partnership (PPP) agreements to be temporarily transferred to private business. This will speed up the reconstruction of overpasses and bridges in critical condition, says Presidential Adviser Ramūnas Dilba. According to Minister of Finance Kristupas Vaitiekūnas, the new procedure will help attract more financing for transport infrastructure projects from international financial institutions, such as the European Investment Bank (EIB). In the first stage, it was agreed on the financing of several projects – the construction of the Zarasai and Klaipėda southern bypasses, and the reconstruction of the road between Kaunas and Prienai. In the first phase, it is planned to attract about EUR 700 million in funding.

Renatas Pocius, chairman of the National Energy Regulatory Council (VERT), says that public tariffs for the supply of electricity and natural gas, which will come into force in the second half of the year, may increase, but the aim will be to keep the price raise as low as possible. According to him, in order to avoid price hikes and emerging risks, the public supplier Ignitis has fixed 50 percent of its natural gas supply portfolio for the second half of this year at the current lower prices, which amount to about 35 euros per megawatt hour. In addition, according to the head of the VERT, in order to achieve greater price stability, the aim is to link the natural gas price index to the American Henry Hub index, not to the European one, called TTF, as before. Pocius assured that the VERT does not see a crisis in the market due to the military conflict in the Middle East and, with the greater development of renewable energy capacities in Lithuania, the impact of oil and natural gas prices on electricity prices is lower.

FOREIGN NEWS

Iran’s foreign minister, who arrived in St Petersburg, accused the US of derailing talks in Pakistan. According to Abbas Araghchi, the US side made “excessive demands”. The US president cancelled the American delegation’s visit to Pakistan last Sunday, and US media soon reported on Tehran’s new proposal to the US to open the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global oil and gas trade, and postpone talks on Iran’s nuclear programme until later. In St Petersburg, Araghchi met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who praised the Iranian people for “fighting bravely and heroically for their independence” and vowed to “do everything” to bring peace to the region.

A German court has ruled that border checks violate the European Union’s (EU) Schengen Agreement on freedom of movement. The decision was made on Monday by a court in the western German city of Koblenz in a case brought by a law professor. According to the court’s elucidation, the German police illegally verified the professor’s identity in June 2025 when he crossed the border from Luxembourg into Germany. Although, under the rules of the Schengen Agreement, member states can carry out border controls when there is a threat to public policy or internal security, and the level of threat is assessed by them, the justification provided by the German state for its actions, according to the court, did not have a solid factual basis. The court’s explanation states that the references to individual acts of violence committed by foreigners do not allow to conclude that the national authorities were not able to control the situation at all during the period indicated in the plaintiff’s complaint.

A flotilla of aid to Gaza with activists from several countries has sailed from Sicily. After delays due to bad weather, 56 ships left the port near Syracuse, the Global Sumud Flotilla said, describing its aid campaign as the largest ever to reach the Gaza Strip. Pro-Palestinian activists will again try to break through Israel’s naval blockade of the Gaza Strip in force since 2007 to bring aid shipments to the densely populated area, devastated by two years of intense bombardment. Israel has consistently blocked activists’ attempts to break through the blockade of the closed coastal strip, and last year its special forces stormed the flotilla’s private sailboats and motor boats, preventing access to the area.

Vilnius, April 27 (ELTA) – First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal met with Lithuanian Minister of Energy Žygimantas Vaičiūnas to discuss preparations for the winter season and the protection of Ukraine’s energy system, reports Ukrinform.

According to Ukrinform, Shmyhal reported the meeting on Telegram.

“I held a meeting with Lithuanian Minister of Energy Žygimantas Vaičiūnas. I am grateful for his visit to Ukraine on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Chornobyl disaster, and for visiting one of the energy facilities repeatedly attacked by Russia. We value Lithuania’s energy assistance. In total, our Lithuanian partners have delivered 356 shipments weighing 6,000 tonnes, including power transformers and other equipment,” Shmyhal wrote.

He noted that Lithuania has contributed €5.7 million to the Energy Support Fund and that the meeting also addressed the transfer of equipment from decommissioned Lithuanian plants.

“We discussed preparations for winter, the protection of the energy system, and the importance of involving Ukrainian expertise in the work of European institutions. Lithuania has companies and expertise that can help in this area,” Shmyhal added.

As previously reported, Presidents Volodymyr Zelensky and Gitanas Nausėda also discussed opportunities to deepen cooperation in defense production, including within the framework of the Drone Deal initiative.