Today, during the global Diplomatic Conference in Kumamoto, Japan, Minister of Environment, Valentinas Mazuronis, together with the EU Commissioner for the Environment, Janez Potočnik, signed the new international Minamata Convention on mercury on behalf of the EU. The Minister also signed the Convention on behalf of Lithuania. More than a hundred global high-ranking officials are participating at this important international event. The Convention's goal is to decrease mercury emissions and the impact thereof on human health and the environment.

Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Vytautas Leškevičius addressed the European Parliament in plenary session in Strasbourg on behalf of the EU Council on EU and Member State measures to tackle the flow of refugees as a result of the conflict in Syria, and noted that the EU and its Member States - despite the economic crisis from the conflict – had assisted the Syrian people. EU humanitarian aid accounts for over 1.5 billion euros, meanwhile, two-thirds of this is from Member States, and the remaining 412 million euros was collected through non-governmental EU instruments.

Last week Panevėžys said goodbye to 17-year-old girl who was brutally murdered a week ago. The whole country is shocked by this huge tragedy: it was discussed in every home while institutions and officials started to blame each other for being responsible for this situation. Politicians, of course, took advantage from a good opportunity to improve their rankings: they provided a lot of different suggestions, including the return of the death penalty.

On behalf of the Lithuanian people and on her own behalf, President Dalia Grybauskaitė extended congratulations to President Ivo Josipović of Croatia on Independence Day.

President Dalia Grybauskaitė met with Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark who arrived on his first official visit to Lithuania. The entourage of Prince Frederik includes the Danish ministers for the environment, energy and building, as well as a special business delegation of representatives from 22 Danish companies whose mission is to strengthen economic ties between Lithuania and Denmark and to open up new opportunities for business cooperation.

Tuesday, October 8, at 16:00 hours President Dalia Grybauskaitė will hold a meeting with Crown Prince Frederick of Denmark who is coming for an official visit to Lithuania. During his visit, Prince Frederick will be accompanied by a Danish business delegation.

The prestigious weekly-magazine 'Veidas' has analysed the quality of life in Lithuanian cities and districts for the seventh time. According to the data obtained a rating was created in which all the sixty Lithuanian governments were placed on the basis of the scores awarded. The quality of life was assessed according to 25 criteria, e.g. change in population (5 points), number of active enterprises (15 points), amount of support of the European Union per one inhabitant (5 points), percentage of renovated schools (5 points), the incidence of illnesses of population (5 points), government debt (5 points), number of pensioners per 1 thousand inhabitants (7 points). The governments of Vilnius Region performed really well this time.

On September 30 Japan's diplomat Shigeyuki Hiroki was decorated with the Commander Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of Lithuania at the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in Tokyo.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius met with Vice-President of the Commission, responsible for competition, Joaquin Almunia, to discuss competition policy matters.

On behalf of the Lithuanian people and on her own behalf, President Dalia Grybauskaitė extended congratulations to President Joachim Gauck on the Day of German Unity.