On October 20 Lithuania signed a technical agreement with Norway on procurement of launchers and missiles of mid-range Norwegian advanced surface to air missile system (NASAMS). The agreement endorsed by the Ministry of National Defence of Lithuania and the Ministry of Defence of the Kingdom of Norway defines conditions and responsibilities of the parties concerning buying and selling NASAMS components as well as support Norway would render to Lithuania in developing mid-range air defence capabilities.

The UK's decision to leave the Union will already affect the EU's budget for next year. "There has already been an unforeseeable situation and now we have to deal with this problem," said Jens Geier, the MEP who will negotiate on behalf of the Parliament regarding the bulk of the EU's budget for 2017. MEPs will vote on Parliament's position in plenary on 26 October. We talked to the German S&D member about how Brexit is affecting the budget and the upcoming negotiations with the Council.

Rasa Budbergytė, Minister of Finance, presented to the Seimas Draft Law No XIIP-4790 on Approving the Financial Indicators of the State Budget and Municipal Budgets for 2017, hereby proposing to endorse the state budget revenue of nearly EUR 8.476 billion and the expenditure of over EUR 9.059 billion (appropriations exceed the revenue by EUR 583.4 million).

President Dalia Grybauskaitė is leaving on a working visit to Brussels where she will attend the European Council meeting on October 20-21. The 28 EU leaders will discuss relations with Russia, migration, the ratification process of the EU-Ukraine association agreement, trade with global partners, as well as economic and climate change issues.

President Dalia Grybauskaitė who is currently on an official visit in Finland met with President Sauli Niinistö to discuss the threats confronting the region, cooperation in the field of defense, the migration crisis, and other urgent bilateral and EU issues.

Today, on October 18, President Dalia Grybauskaitė is travelling for a two-day official visit to Finland. In Helsinki, Dalia Grybauskaitė will meet with President Sauli Niinistö, Prime Minister Juha Sipilä and Speaker of the Finnish parliament Maria Lohela. She will also visit Aalto University to get acquainted with the Finnish reform of higher education. The President will receive the Honorary Medal of the City of Helsinki.

The migrant situation in Calais and the creation of a European Defence Union will be debated by committees this week, while the inquiry into how car emissions are measured continues. In addition President Martin Schulz will address the European Council, where migration, trade and EU-Russia relations are on the agenda.

On 13 October, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Linas Linkevičius met with the new Ambassador of Finland to Lithuania Christer Gustaf Michelsson and discussed topical issues of bilateral relations, as well as the strengthening of cooperation in the fields of regional, energy security, defence and other areas.

The Seimas agreed to start considerations of amendments to Articles 60 and 99 of the Constitution (draft No XIIP-4694), submitted by Valentinas Bukauskas, Member of the Seimas, based on which Members of the Seimas would no longer be able to be appointed as ministers, i.e. to serve simultaneously as both a Member of the Seimas and a Minister.