Minister of Foreign Affairs Linas Linkevičius, on 30 December, visited the children who had suffered from military operations in the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk and who study at Vilnius Lithuanians’ School now.

On 22 December 2016, Eugenijus Jovaiša, PhD, Chair of the Seimas Committee on Education and Science, met with Amir Maimon, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the State of Israel to the Republic of Lithuania. The meeting was also attended by Dr Maly Danino, Executive Director of Nitzan, Israeli Association for Children and Adults with Learning Disabilities, and founder of the Department of Psychological Assistance to Persons with Learning Disabilities under the Israeli Ministry of Education, and Anat Katznelson, Senior Psychologist at Nitzan, Director of the Parent Coaching Programme.

On 29 December, Belarus Ambassador to Lithuania Aleksandr Korol was handed a diplomatic note with the request to provide comprehensive information about another incident, which involved the reactor pressure vessel for the Ostrovets Nuclear Power Plant (NPP).

On December 23 Vice minister of National Defence Vytautas Umbrasas began his duties at the Ministry of National Defence.

On December 21 Minister of National Defence Raimundas Karoblis met with Ambassador of Germany to Lithuania HE Jutta Schimtz and later – with Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Lithuania HE Bert van der Lingen at the Ministry of National Defence. The officials discussed bilateral defence cooperation particularly focusing on the regional security situation and Lithuania’s readiness to host the NATO battalion-sized combat group which will be deployed early next year.

“The Lithuanian foreign policy is based on long-term national interests and the continuity of their implementation”, said Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis earlier today in the meeting with the EU ambassadors, held at the initiative of the Slovak Republic that is completing its Presidency of the European Union.

On 22 December 2016, the Seimas has congratulated the elected President of the Unites States of America Donald Trump by adopting a respective Resolution.

The Seimas adopted a resolution on strengthening parliamentary diplomacy. The total of 76 Members voted in favour, with none against and 3 abstentions.

The Seimas adopted amendments to the Labour Code and accompanying legislation, thus postponing for half a year the entry into force of some of the laws adopted under the social model package, including the new Labour Code. The amendments mean that the laws under the social model package will enter into force on 1 July 2017. A total of 78 Members of the Seimas voted in favour of the proposal on the postponement, with 14 against and 30 abstentions.

On 19 December 2016, Linas Linkevičius, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, appointed Neris Germanas, Darius Skusevičius and Albinas Zananavičius as new vice-ministers.