On April 16-17 Vice Minister of National Defence Vytautas Umbrasas was on a visit in Estonia where he discussed issues of security in the region and bilateral defence cooperation with representatives of the Estonian Ministry of Defence and the Estonian Defence Forces.

Parliament released today the fourth and final set of seat projections, based on a cross-section of national polls, on the composition of the next (9th) European Parliament (751 seats).

President Dalia Grybauskaitė presented letters of credence to Giedrius Čekuolis, Lithuanian Ambassador to the Kingdom of Sweden.

Parliament adopted a significant step towards reducing risks in the banking system and establishing the Banking Union, on Tuesday.

The Seimas adopted amendments to the Laws on State Social Insurance, on Health Insurance, and on Corporate Income Tax and to the accompanying legislation (draft Laws No XIIIP-3295 (2), No XIIIP-3296 (2), No XIIIP-3297 (2)) with a view to regulating the legal situation of the UK’s and Lithuania’s citizens after the withdrawal of the UK from the EU with no deal. If the UK withdraws from the EU, the UK citizens, who are currently EU citizens, will become third-country nationals.

Protecting whistle-blowers, the state of play on Brexit and improving road safety are among the topics in the last plenary session of the current term.

The Seimas approved draft laws relating to the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK) from the European Union (EU) and regulating the legal situation of UK citizens and their family members, both residing in the Republic of Lithuania and arriving in the Republic of Lithuania following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.

On April 9 Vice Minister of National Defence Vytautas Umbrasas discussed security situation in the Baltic Sea region, bilateral Lithuanian-Swedish cooperation in defence, and efforts to strengthen national capabilities at a meeting with State Secretary to the Minister for Defence of Sweden Jan-Olof Lind conducting a visit in Lithuania.

Viktoras Pranckietis, Speaker of the Seimas, took part in the Conference of Speakers of the European Union Parliaments in Vienna, Austria. During the debate on the European Union and its neighbours, the Speaker of the Seimas invited the national parliaments to pay attention to the Eastern Partnership and its objectives.

President Dalia Grybauskaitė is leaving for Brussels to attend a special meeting of the European Council.