Two out of three Lithuanian soldiers who chose to cut their mission in Afghanistan short have been fired from military service by Defense Minister Juozas Olekas with the third soldier's fate still pending. Chief of Defense of the Lithuanian Armed Forces Lieutenant General Valdas Tutkus confirmed a proposal was made to the defense minister to terminate the military service contracts with the three soldiers. Two of the officers, Tutkus said, have already been fired, with the third currently on the sick list. His case will be examined upon returning to work. "I recommended removing them from service. Those, who are incapable of adequate reactions to challenges arising during service, are not meant for the military. There are plenty of other professions," Tutkus said. Olekas signed a decree July 8 on the discontinuation of professional military service contracts with Sergeant Nerijus Gylius and Corporal Svajunas Zaparackas. The case of Sergeant First Class Nerijus Klimavicius will be decided when he returns to service after recovering from his illness, the Defense Ministry said in a release.
The European Commission will extend financial support for the member states to combat cyber crimes and will arrange specialist training, EC Vice-chairman, Jacques Barrot, said during the informal meeting of the EU justice and interior ministers in Cannes. Lithuanian Interior Minister, Regimantas Ciupaila, a member of the Council of the European Union, reported to the European Community about the incident that took place in Lithuania recently where hackers defaced over 300 Lithuanian Websites, splashing them with Soviet symbols and spiteful texts in Russian. The EU interior ministers identified cyber security as one of the most important current issues and agreed to join together the forces of every country to address it, the Interior Ministry reported.
Prime Minister Gediminas Kirkilas has been caught out after not attending the ceremony for the anniversary of the coronation of King Mindaugas. The premier cited a busy schedule and lack of time, but still made time to watch a tennis tournament the same day. "I had just returned from America and decided not to take part as I simply had no time to prepare," the prime minister said in with an interview for Lithuanian National Radio on Tuesday. The Lithuanian Tennis Federation however confirmed that from 9 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. on Sunday, Kirkilas attended the tennis tournament Dubingiai Open that took place at the homestead of basketball player Sarunas Marciulionis in Dubingiai. Lithuania celebrated the anniversary of the coronation of the only king of Lithuania, Karolis Mindaugas, on June 6. President Valdas Adamkus presented over 50 Lithuanian and foreign nationals with Lithuanian orders and medals during the day. Notable awards went to Artis Pabriks, a member of the Latvian parliament and a former Latvian foreign minister, was awarded the Grand Cross of Commander of the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas. Hermanas Jonas Sulcas, a Roman Catholic priest and a missionary in Rwanda, was awarded the Cross of Commander of the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas.
