Lithuanian president to hold meeting on emergency situation, crisis management

VILNIUS – Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda is set to hold a meeting on the management of emergency situations and crises next week.

In a statement on Friday, the presidential office said the latest large-scale fire in the southern city of Alytus showed that the state was still not properly prepared for large-scale incidents.

The meeting will be also attended by Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis, Alytus Mayor Nerijus Cesiulis and Saulius Greicius, head of the Fire and Rescue Department, the statement said.

Nauseda said there was a lack of systemic preparation to respond to an emergency situation and smooth inter-institutional cooperation once the fire broke out in Alytus was danger to people's health emerged.

"The head of state sees the need to amend the legal base, reduce bureaucratic obstacles to provide timely assistance to resident and also resolve technical supply issues," the statement reads.

According to the president, the key goal is to ensure smooth work of various institutions when eliminating the consequences of emergency situations and ensuring public safety.

The fire at Ekologistika's tire storage facility in Alytus, covering an area of 2,000 square meters, broke out on Oct 16 and took several days to be extinguished.