Lietuva in brief

Grybauskaite advises Israel not to believe Vladimir Putin

On her state visit to Israel, Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite told Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, not to believe Putin’s rhetoric regarding Russia’s intervention in Syria.
She told Netanyahu: “Regarding our experience with today’s Russia led by Putin, we usually say: ‘don’t believe what they say, just try to check what they do.’”
Grybauskaite added Putin’s actions in Syria are not a war against the Islamic State but rather an attempt to support the regime of Syrian President Bashar al Assad.

New US Army troops and equipment arrive in Lithuania

Oct. 28, 2015 saw more than 60 units of military equipment from the US Army arrive in Lithuania.
A new shift of around 230 US troops also arrived in the country for training with a unit of logistics support specialists.
The US has been rotating a company of troops in each of the Baltic States and Poland since spring 2014.
Great Britain has also pledged to send rotation troops  – a company apiece for Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia.

Lithuania extends condolences to Russia over Egyptian air crash

Nov. 2, 2015 saw Lithuania’s Foreign Minister, Linas Linkevicius, extend Lithuania’s condolences to Russia over the Metrojet air crash, in which all 224 aboard were killed.
The passengers were largely Russian tourists travelling from Sharm-el-Sheik to St. Petersburg.
“In Lithuania, the news of the airplane disaster in Egypt caused great distress,” wrote Linkevicius. “I convey my sincere condolences to the families and friends of those killed.”

Julian Assange to take part in LOGIN 2016

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange will take part in the LOGIN 2016 event in Vilnius.
Assange will join the line of speakers via satellite feed.
LOGIN 2016 will take place at the LitExpo exhibition centre in Vilnius on May 5 - 6.