Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Linas Linkevičius on November 19 in Brussels will chair the General Affairs Council meeting which will start the fourth European Semester of economic policy coordination.

The interest of Lithuania's business in neighbouring Belarus are developing, the SEB Bank informs. In 2000-2006, Lithuania's businessmen invested LTL 5 million (EUR 1.4 million) into Belarus.

In III quarter 2013, against the same quarter of 2012, the volume of construction work carried out in Lithuania increased by 15.3%. Statistics Lithuania informs that in III quarter 2013, the volume of construction work carried out amounted to LTL 2.5 billion.

President Dalia Grybauskaitė together with members of the Investors' Forum - association of the largest and most active investors in the Lithuanian economy - discussed issues relating to Lithuania's business environment, fighting corruption and shadow economy.

Lithuanian Business Employers' Confederation (LVDK) and the China International Chamber of Commerce for the Private Sector (CICCPS) will sign an agreement that should enhance close cooperation between the businessmen of both countries and investment.

Very soon container train Viking will carry cargo to Lithuania not only from Ukraine but also from Turkey. The trial run of the container train should take place in the beginning of 2014, and it is planned that the train will begin running regularly in summer of 2014.

Having analysed the cases of the tax increase in 2008-2012, the Lithuanian Free Market Institute (LLRI) wondered why the representatives of the Government did into evaluate that the tax increase could lead to the decrease in the tax collection and could be responsible for the lower income in the budget.

After negotiating through the night, Parliament and Council struck a deal on the EU budget for 2014, which also provides for remedying payments shortfalls in in the current fiscal year. MEPs ensured that victims of catastrophic flooding and drought in 2013 will be compensated, and that its priorities for 2014 in areas such as employment, research and innovation, border management and humanitarian aid are also taken on board.

Norwegian company Storebrand, which provides various services and products in the area of retirement pension funds, life and health insurance, banking and asset management in the Nordic countries, is adding an IT development branch to its service center in Vilnius.

Statistics Lithuania informs that, based on non-final data obtained from customs declarations, Intrastat reporting and VAT returns data, exports in September 2013 amounted to LTL 7.4 billion, imports – LTL 8.1 billion. Exports of goods of Lithuanian origin amounted to LTL 4.7 billion. The foreign trade deficit of Lithuania amounted to LTL 0.7 billion.