Lithuania's Minister of Finance Rimantas Sadzius on October 11 met with Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Nemat Shafik in Washington, informs LETA/ELTA.

The Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER II) has on October 9 in Brussels authorized the Lithuanian Presidency to start discussions with the European Parliament and the Commission on the EU guarantee to the European Investment Bank to finance operations supporting investment projects outside the Union.

Apartment prices in Lithuanian capital continue to increase for the eighth month in a row in September 2013. This price dynamics is revealed by the Lithuanian apartment price index (OHBI) of real estate company Ober-Haus that registers changes in apartment prices in the five major Lithuanian cities (Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipeda, Siauliai and Panevezys).

2,8 million tons, i.e. more by 14%, comparing with cargo handling turnover in August of 2013, were handled in Klaipėda Seaport in September of 2013, reports BC port's press service.

Shale gas extraction could help lower energy bills and reduce Europe's dependence on energy from other countries, but there are concerns about how it could affect people's health and the environment. On 9 October MEPs will vote on whether shale gas exploration and extraction should be subject to mandatory assessments of their impact on the environment. Find out how shale gas drilling works in our infographic.

Company Audimas, the leading brand of clothing for active leisure and sports in Lithuania, has opened the first stores of a new concept and plans to invest LTL 4 million (EUR 1.2 million) in upgrading of the chain of stores within several year.

The Baltic Course with reference to the news agency ELTA and the daily 'Lietuvos žinios' writes that Russia informed that from September of this year the temporary restrictions for import of chilled beef from Lithuania were cancelled.

On 4th October the Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER I) authorized the Lithuanian Presidency to start discussions with the European Parliament and the Commission with a view to reaching an agreement in first reading regarding the Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 2006/43/EC on statutory audits of annual accounts and consolidated accounts and the Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on specific requirements regarding statutory audit of public-interest entities. COREPER I confirmed the negotiating mandate for the position to be taken by the Presidency at the forthcoming informal trilogue scheduled to take later this month.

On 3–4 October, the informal meeting of the EU Trade Policy Committee's members took place in Vilnius. The meeting's goal was to discuss the main points of the EU's Trade Policy Agenda and prepare for the meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council, dedicated to trade, which will commence on 18 October in Luxembourg.

President Dalia Grybauskaitė met with the Vice President of the European Commission and Commissioner for Competition, Joaquín Almunia.