Lithuania: Belarus fertiliser transit to undermine EU sanctions

Lithuania’s State Security Department has warned that proposals to resume the transit of Belarusian fertilisers through the port of Klaipeda would effectively circumvent European Union sanctions without reducing security threats posed by Minsk. “This would bypass sanctions, but not the threats,” State Security Department director Remigijus Bridikis said on May 26. “The regime is what…

Lithuania: country under pressure from US to renew Belarusian fertiliser transit

Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys said the US was pressuring Lithuania to allow the transit of Belarusian fertilisers through its territory, according to remarks made in a closed-door meeting with the Social Democratic faction. Several Social Democrats who attended the meeting confirmed the information on condition of anonymity. According to them, Budrys specifically used the word…

Lithuania: national stadium costs not to increase

Vilnius Mayor Valdas Benkunskas said on May 11 that neither the government’s nor the municipality’s financial commitments to the long-delayed national stadium project would increase, rejecting suggestions that the Education, Science and Sports Ministry was seeking to reduce its contribution. “That is not true,” Benkunskas told reporters when asked whether negotiations were underway to cut…

Lithuania: sabotage unlikely in recent derailments

A representative of LTG Group said on May 5 that sabotage was considered unlikely in two train derailments that occurred within 48 hours in central Lithuania, though all possible causes remained under investigation. Gediminas Seckus, the company’s director of business resilience, said data collected at the sites in Kaunas and Kedainiai districts suggests third-party interference…