The Seimas approved the amendments to the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens, which expanded the basis for banning an alien from the Republic of Lithuania for a long-term. The new amendments provide for an entry ban on aliens related to large-scale corruption, money laundering, and violations of human rights. The amendments were adopted unanimously by 91 votes in favour.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Linas Linkevičius and members of the delegation accompanying him met with representatives of the National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technology University that score particularly highly in world rankings, as well as with representatives from Singapore’s lead Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR).

Today another scandalous debate on ‘The situation of the rule of law and democracy in Poland’ took place in the European Parliament (EP) in Strasbourg. Frans Timmermans, first Vice-President of the European Commission, attacked the Polish government in accusing it of alleged violation of the rule of law in force in the European Union. He was joined by members from other political groups of the EP, i.e. European United Left/Nordic Green Left Group, Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, and the Greens, who also added some grotesque charge regarding limitation of women's rights, including pension and reproductive ones.

On 13 November, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Linas Linkevičius participated in the EU’s Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels, during which foreign affairs ministers and defence ministers focused on the African Union - EU Summit and the implementation of the EU Global Strategy in the area of security and defence.

The EU’s Foreign Affairs Council meeting took place on 13 November in Brussels. In the meeting, discussions on the ways of strengthening the EU’s strategic communication were held at the initiative of Lithuania and its partners. In October, the Foreign Ministers of Lithuania, Latvia, Sweden, Poland, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, Romania and Croatia sent a letter to the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, drawing her attention to the need to strengthen the StratComms of the European External Action Service (EEAS), in particular the East Stratcom Task Force that counters pro-Kremlin disinformation.

Negotiations for the EU's 2018 budget are currently under way. Find out about Parliament's priorities in our interview with leading MEP Siegfried Mureșan.

In his introductory remarks addressing the annual Energy Forum in Vilnius on 7 November, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Linas Linkevičius, underlined that, “Lithuania aspires to full-fledged integration into the internal energy market of the EU and synchronisation of the electric systems of the Baltic States with the networks of continental Europe remains a fundamental strategic step to be taken”.

Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis has met with the management of Continental, a German automotive manufacturing company that is about to construct a new manufacturing plant in Lithuania. At the meeting, a memorandum of understanding was signed by the representatives of the company and the Ministry of Economy, hence ensuring the Government’s assistance to the investment plans of Continental.

During the next plenary session in Strasbourg session, MEPs will debate the latest tax dodging scandal and vote on new anti-dumping proposals.

On 2–4 November 2017, the Seimas Committee on National Security and Defence paid a visit to Ukraine. The delegation of the Committee led by Vytautas Bakas, Chair of the Committee, was made up of 7 out of a total of 10 members of the Committee, including Marius Janukonis, Lithuanian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Ukraine.