The Seimas has adopted a Resolution (draft No. XIIIP-2565(2)) on holding a mandatory referendum to amend Article 12 of the Constitution that defines the acquisition of citizenship. A total of 66 MPs voted in favour of the Seimas resolution and four abstained.

Vilius Šapoka, Minister of Finance, presented draft Law No XIIIP-2715 on the Approval of Financial Indicators of the State Budget and Municipal Budgets for 2019 to the Seimas, which focuses on structural reforms in the areas of health, education, social protection, innovation, and taxes and on reduction of shadow economy.

In a busy plenary week, MEPs will be looking to stem plastic pollution, improve the quality of drinking water and ensure the safety of personal data in Facebook.

Chancellor of the Government Algirdas Stončaitis has met with Japan’s Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasutoshi Nishimura and has discussed bilateral cooperation in the fields of transport, energy, innovations and technology.

On 18 October in Vilnius, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Linas Linkevičius received Permanent Representatives to NATO of countries contributing to the enhanced forward presence battalion in Lithuania. They discussed Lithuania's efforts to strengthen its own security and the implementation of the Alliance‘s initiatives in the field of collective defense and deterrence that had been agreed upon.

President Dalia Grybauskaitė together with 51 European and Asian leaders attended the ASEM summit in Brussels. This year the biennial forum focused on the theme “Global Partners for Global Challenges.”

On October 17 outgoing Defence Attaché of Georgia Col Archil Petremgvdlishvili was farewelled at a ceremony at the Ministry of National Defence.

Viktoras Pranckietis, Speaker of the Seimas, while on his official visit to Israel, met with Yuli-Yoel Edelstein, Speaker of the Knesset. In addition to the close inter-parliamentary relations, they discussed the efforts to consolidate the intergovernmental cooperation in the “Government-to-Government” format.

“Our citizens gain from living in a world with more democracies and fewer authoritarian regimes” said President Tajani at a high-level conference on electoral observation.

“I invite Eastern Partnership countries to continue following European Union affairs, to be a part of those processes, actively engage in EU initiatives and projects in security and defence area. I also encourage Eastern Partnership countries that aspire for European integration to stay true to European vision and follow the chosen path, Minister of National Defence Raimundas Karoblis said welcoming participants of international security experts conference Eastern Partners in European Security and Defence: Closer Cooperation to Overcome Common Challenges on October 9.