The Lithuanian government on October 16 approved the Finance Ministry’s draft budget for 2026, which included a significant increase in spending and a record allocation for defence, before submitting it to the Seimas, the parliament, for debate. Finance Minister Kristupas Vaitiekunas said Lithuania’s strong revenue growth this year allowed the government to boost expenditures while…
Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene says that Lithuania plans to allocate 5.38% of its GDP to the military in its 2026 state budget. “Defence spending in the 2026 budget will reach 5.38% of GDP. This is a record amount,” Ruginiene told reporters after a Cabinet meeting on October 15. Finance Minister Kristupas Vaitiekunas said defence funding…
Lithuania’s airports will offer more than 80 flight routes during the upcoming aviation winter season, including a new connection from Vilnius to the Finnish city of Turku, officials have announced. Hungarian carrier Wizz Air will begin operating flights from Vilnius to Turku on December 12, while flydubai will launch thrice-weekly flights from Vilnius to Dubai…
Lithuania will construct a new garage for JLTV all-terrain vehicles along with a headquarters and administrative building at the King Mindaugas Hussar Battalion in the Panevezys district, the Defence Ministry has announced. More than EUR 200 million will be invested over the next three years to modernise the infrastructure of the Iron Wolf Infantry Brigade,…
Vilnius plans to build four new pedestrian and cycling bridges, one car bridge, and redevelop public spaces along the Neris River, Mayor Valdas Benkunskas has said. “It’s clear that we’re not fully using the river as a public space or taking advantage of its economic potential,” Benkunskas told reporters. “Right now, the Neris is more…
Starting this week, banks in Lithuania and across the eurozone will be required to verify whether a payment recipient’s name matches the account number, in a move aimed at reducing fraud, the Bank of Lithuania says. The check will take only a few seconds, and customers will immediately be notified of the result, officials say.…
Lithuania’s new government has pledged to raise pensions and child benefits as part of its program to combat poverty, but lawmakers and anti-poverty organisations warn the measures may be insufficient without broader increases in social spending. Social Security and Labour Minister Jurate Zailskiene acknowledged that poverty in Lithuania was declining slowly. She said the government…