Lithuania will hand over 24 thermal sights to Ukraine’s special forces, the country’s Defense Ministry reports. “Under the plan, these will be mobile thermovisual surveillance devices,” the ministry said, adding that the devices were valued at over 340,000 euros. The ministry also confirmed that Lithuania would soon start handing over weapons to Ukraine, but refrained…
The Bank of Lithuania has calculated the possible impact that China’s unannounced economic sanctions could have on the country’s economy. China’s restrictions on Lithuanian businesses might lead to the country’s GDP growth decreasing by 0.1% to 0.5% in 2022 and by 0.3% to 1.3% next year, according to the Central Bank’s estimates. Based on the…
The diplomatic spat between Vilnius and Beijing over Lithuania’s ties with Taiwan is hurting the country’s tech industry. Sector representatives say that unless the situation changes, firms may need to relocate elsewhere. “The situation has finally become clear. The foreign minister has said quite bluntly that the situation with China and the European Union will…
On January 19, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said he was ready to initiate support measures for firms affected by China’s sanctions. “We talked about tax policy changes that would help businesses in the current situation: possible amendments to the corporate tax system,” Nauseda told reporters, adding that his office “is ready to initiate such measures…
The Lithuanian parliament voted on January 18 to reject proposals on liberalizing the rules on alcohol sales. The amendments, drafted by the ruling conservative-liberal coalition, included proposals to lower legal drinking age and extend alcohol-selling time. However, MPs rejected individual proposals as well as the amendment bill, which was voted down 63 to 51. Under…
Lithuania’s third-biggest city Klaipeda expects significant job losses once the country stops the transit of Belarusian fertilizers, although the “worst-case scenario” can be avoided. Last week, the government terminated a contract between the state-owned railway company Lietuvos Gelezinkeliai (Lithuanian Railways, LTG) and the Belarusian potash giant Belaruskali, which exported around 11 million tons of fertilizers…
On January 17, Lithuanian Economy and Innovation Minister Ausrine Armonaite said the country was concerned about foreign investors changing plans due to China’s pressure. “We have no further information about companies changing their plans. There is concern, and everybody hopes that the situation will de-escalate and will be resolved, which is what we expect as…