Vilnius, June 12 (ELTA) – The Investigation Service (STT) has opened a pre-trial investigation into the acquisition of an apartment in the Baltic seaside resort of Palanga by Marija Gudonienė, a municipal councillor and the mother of Širvintos district mayor Živilė Pinskuvienė.

According to a joint statement by the STT and prosecutors, the investigation into suspected bribery and influence peddling was launched to determine whether Širvintos municipality may have granted unusually favourable conditions to a specific contractor in public procurement procedures, allegedly in exchange for the transfer of real estate at a price below market value.

The anti-graft agency said it decided to launch the probe after reviewing a joint investigation by Delfi journalist Tomas Janonis and blogger Skirmantas Malinauskas.

According to the journalistic investigation, Gudonienė may have purchased the apartment in the Kunigiškės area of Palanga at a price significantly below market value from businessman Vilmantas Guobys, owner of construction company Vilmstata, which had previously won public procurement contracts worth millions of euros from the Širvintos district municipality.

Conservative lawmaker Mindaugas Lingė turned to law enforcement over the matter. He cited data published by the civic initiative Viešpirkiai, claiming that Vilmstata won a municipal tender initially valued at EUR 2.4 million, with subsequent agreements increasing the project’s value to EUR 4.6 million.

Delfi reported that Gudonienė bought the more than 97-square-metre apartment in January 2024 for EUR 80,000, equivalent to about EUR 824 per square metre, well below average property prices in Palanga.

Vilnius, June 12 (ELTA) – Lithuania’s ruling parties aim to complete the text of a new coalition agreement on Friday, the deputy chair of the Democrats For Lithuania, Lukas Savickas, has said.

“We are here from 9 a.m., working with colleagues in our editorial group to turn yesterday’s strategic-level agreements into a coherent coalition agreement,” Savickas told reporters at the Seimas. 

“We hope to finish the text today.”

He declined to comment on which ministries might go to the Democrats, saying those decisions were not being made on Friday. 

“We are focusing on the content of the coalition agreement,” he said, adding that questions about ministerial posts and personnel would be addressed later.

According to Savickas, his party is also waiting on the Social Democrats (LSDP) to decide who will assume the prime minister post following changes in the ruling majority.

Asked about the main points of contention, Savickas said the largest “battle” during Thursday’s negotiations concerned EUR 70 million in maternity and paternity benefits, but a solution had been reached. 

“We agreed it is a political decision and that our coalition partners see it as a priority, as we do,” he said.

The ruling LSDP on Saturday decided to reshuffle the coalition by removing the Nemunas Dawn party and opening talks with the Democrats For Lithuania.

Party leaders Mindaugas Sinkevičius, MEP Virginijus Sinkevičius and MEP Aurelijus Veryga of the Farmers and Greens met in Brussels Tuesday, with full coalition negotiation groups scheduled to meet Thursday.

If approved, the new coalition would hold 75 of the 141 seats in the Seimas, five fewer than under the previous arrangement with Nemunas Dawn.

Vilnius, June 12 (ELTA) – Non-governmental organisations in Lithuania, Latvia and Poland have urged the countries to uphold human rights and international law as the European Union’s (EU) new Migration and Asylum Pact comes into force on Friday.

The groups criticised current turnback practices along the countries’ borders with Belarus, saying they raise serious questions over compliance with the new EU rules.

“Restrictions on liberty in migration procedures must not be applied automatically. Detention should be a last resort, used only after individual assessment and consideration of less restrictive alternatives,” the statement said.

The NGOs also stressed that unaccompanied minors should be immediately assigned a representative and that children should not be detained. Independent monitors must have access to border areas and migrant accommodation and detention facilities, sufficient resources, and the ability to deploy experts.

All stages of migration procedures should include effective legal assistance, including asylum, detention, and return processes. Migrants who cannot be returned must be allowed to work, the groups added, warning that otherwise they face poverty, exploitation, and illegal labor.

“Migrant policy cannot be based on human rights, dignity, and the rule of law, not fear or short-term politics,” the NGOs said.

The statement was signed by Lithuania’s Sienos Grupė, Latvia’s Gribu palīdzēt bēgļiem, and Poland’s Stowarzyszenie Interwencji Prawnej.

Vilnius, June 12 (ELTA) – The surplus on the current account balance (CAB) fell significantly from EUR 497.2 million to EUR 96.2 million in April, compared to March, according to the balance of payments released by the central bank, Lietuvos bankas, on Friday.

The development was mainly driven by a significantly larger deficit on the primary income balance, which was not outweighed by an increased surplus on the balance of services, the central bank said in a statement. 

With the rise in exports and imports of services (by 6.5% and 6.1% respectively), the surplus on the balance of services went up (by 6.9%) to EUR 1.0 billion.

The deficit on the primary income balance increased from EUR 78.0 million to EUR 418.7 million. The increase of exports and imports of foreign goods (by 7.6% and 7.2% respectively) led to a rise in the foreign trade deficit (by 4.8%) to EUR 589.5 million. The surplus on the secondary income balance decreased from EUR 170.0 million to EUR 70.5 million.

The positive flow of financial account investment (EUR 822.6 million) was mainly driven by a positive net flow of other investment (EUR 1.7 billion), Lietuvos bankas said.

Vilnius, June 12 (ELTA) – Deputy Justice Ministers Martynas Dobrovolskis and Kristina Zamarytė-Sakavičienė earlier this week participated in the meeting of Baltic and Nordic Ministers of Justice, the ministry said in a press release.

The meeting discussed the effectiveness of justice systems, the fight against organised crime, crisis resilience of the judiciary, and support for Ukraine were discussed. In the discussions this year, Lithuania focused primarily on the strengthening of further support for Ukraine and the ensuring of international justice.

During the meeting, the ministers exchanged experience how to strengthen the fight against organised crime, ensure the functioning of justice systems during crises and emergencies, and reduce the administrative burden, in particular in relation to EU legislation. The discussion also addressed the measures to enhance the resilience and security of the judicial system, as well as preparedness to operate under conditions of mobilisation or a state of war.

“The countries of our region face similar challenges – from organised crime to hybrid threats. That is why it is particularly important to share experience and work together to find solutions that would strengthen public safety and the resilience of justice systems,” Deputy Minister Dobrovolskis said.

In presenting Lithuania’s position on the support for Ukraine, the deputy minister stressed that the large-scale war launched by Russia against Ukraine continues to require strong and consistent international support. In the field of justice, Lithuania actively contributes to the efforts to ensure accountability for the international crimes committed by Russia, supports the integration of Ukraine into the European Union, and defends the rights of Ukrainian children.

“Accountability for the crime of aggression is a prerequisite for achieving justice and lasting peace. Therefore, the start of activities of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine is one of the most important tasks for the international community, and Lithuania will continue to actively contribute to this process,” he said.

The meeting also addressed the progress in the establishment of the Special Tribunal. The Vice-Minister urged the partners of the region to complete their national procedures as soon as possible and to secure the funding necessary so that the tribunal can begin operating in the near future.

Lithuania also presented its experience in the flight against organised crime in imprisonment facilities. Although the influence of organised criminal groups in Lithuanian imprisonment facilities remains minimal, significant attention is devoted to the prevention of informal inmate hierarchies and influence networks through technological, infrastructural, intelligence, and law enforcement measures.

Justice ministers of the Baltic and Nordic countries regularly meet to discuss the most pressing issues of justice policy, strengthen cooperation, and coordinate joint actions in addressing the challenges of regional importance.

Vilnius, June 12 (ELTA) – Lithuanian police said Friday they would launch an international manhunt for Antanas Kandrotas, known as Celofanas, if reports that the convicted activist left the country were confirmed.

An international search notice would be issued through Interpol once the authorities receive a court order and establish that Kandrotas actually was in a foreign country, according to police spokesman Ramūnas Matonis.

“If it is determined that he is abroad, an international search will be announced through Interpol channels,” he told ELTA.

Interpol member states include both Belarus and Russia, he added.

On Thursday, the Court of Appeal of Lithuania sentenced Kandrotas to three years and six months in prison for tax evasion and unlawful trade in fuel.

The Court found that in 2014 Kandrotas and other defendants, acting in a group of accomplices, plotted to buy petroleum products from German companies with a zero-rate value added tax (VAT) and to sell them without accounting documents to different companies, as well as to sell part of the purchased petroleum products using fictitious company documents. 

According to the case files, 25 tonnes of petroleum products were purchased with money of undetermined origin for around EUR 230,700 with zero VAT rate. These products were transported to Lithuania by trucks of the company headed by another defendant in the case.

As previously reported by LRT.lt, Kandrotas travelled to Belarus in early May, where he gave an interview to state broadcaster Belarus-4.

Speaking to Belarus-4, he portrayed Lithuania as facing severe difficulties, described Western sanctions on Belarus as disastrous and suggested Lithuania lacked the leadership of Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko.

Belarusian state media presented Kandrotas as having fled political persecution in Lithuania, describing him as “another political refugee from the Baltic States” who had been “evacuated”.

Vilnius, June 12 (ELTA) – Lithuanian literature translator Donata Rinkevičienė was awarded the Metų vertėjo krėslas prize on Thursday at a ceremony at Vilnius University Library. 

Culture Minister Vaida Aleknavičienė said the award recognised not only excellence in translation but also Rinkevičienė’s role in building cultural bridges between Lithuania and Ukraine.

“I thank the translator for leading Lithuanian readers to Ukraine’s historical experiences, ranging from the Holodomor and Soviet terror to war and freedom struggles, with skill, sensitivity, and rich literary expression,” Aleknavičienė said during the ceremony.

Rinkevičienė received the award for translating Ukrainian author Vasyl Shkliar’s novel Hare Church , published last year by the Lithuanian Writers Union. The book tells the story of a Lithuanian partisan exiled to Donbas who discovers a shared experience of freedom fighting with Ukrainian insurgents.

Rinkevičienė has been translating Ukrainian literature for six years, including works by Tania Pyankova, Andriy Lyubka, Artem Chekh, and Oleksandr Mykhed, as well as children’s books and anthologies.

The prize, established in 2001, carries a cash award of EUR 2,960.

Vilnius, June 12 (ELTA) – Firefighters responded to 40 storm-related incidents on Thursday after strong winds and heavy rain toppled trees across parts of Lithuania, authorities have said.

Most fallen trees blocked roads, while two landed on cars in the Rokiškis and Molėtai districts and one struck power lines. No injuries were reported, the Fire and Rescue Department said on Friday.

The worst-hit area was northeastern Utena county, where most emergency callouts were recorded. Firefighters also cleared a fallen tree from the Vilnius–Kaunas–Klaipėda motorway late Thursday.

Around 1,265 households remained without electricity on Friday morning following the storm.

The Lithuanian Hydrometeorological Service said more than 3,000 lightning strikes were recorded nationwide by 7 p.m. on Thursday. The heaviest rainfall was measured in Utena, which received 33.1 mm of rain, nearly half its monthly average, and in Molėtai, where 29.3 mm fell.

Forecasters said scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms were expected on Friday, with temperatures ranging from 15 to 20 degrees Celsius. Wind speeds are expected to reach 11 metres per second.

Vilnius, June 12 (ELTA) – Lietuvos paštas on Friday released a new postage stamp commemorating the 100th anniversary of Lithuanian radio.

Designed by artist Natalija Vaišnorienė, the stamp depicts the Kaunas radio station in Žaliakalnis, where the country’s national radio began. It was here, a century ago, that the first broadcast opened with the words: “Alio, alio. Lietuvos radijas, Kaunas.”

“Postage stamps commemorate the most important events in the state’s history, culture, and society. The stamp marking the Lithuanian radio anniversary is a tribute to an institution that has informed, united, and accompanied the country through its key historical moments for a century,” Aušrutė Varnienė, head of philately projects at Lietuvos pastas, said.

The new EUR 2 stamp will be issued in a limited edition of 15,000.

 

Vilnius, June 12 (ELTA) – No foreign nationals attempted to enter Lithuania illegally from Belarus over the past 24 hours, marking a twelfth day in a row of lull at the border, the State Border Guard Service (VSAT) said Tuesday.

Latvian border guards turned back 82 illegal migrants from Belarus on Thursday. Poland said there were no foreigners trying to access the country from Belarus illegally a day earlier.

Lithuania has blocked 775 attempts by foreign nationals to enter the country illegally from Belarus so far this year. The overall figure for 2025 was 1,652.