A ceremony to commemorate the start of the reconstruction of the longest section of the Via Baltica route between Marijampolė and the Lithuanian–Polish border on the A5 road (Kaunas–Marijampolė–Suwałki, from 56.83 to 72.50 km) was held today near Marijampolė town. In the presence of the Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė and the Minister of Transport and Communications Marius Skuodis, as well as the mayors of the municipalities of Marijampolė and Kalvarija, the Executives of the Lithuanian Road Administration and the heads of the contractor companies, a capsule containing a letter to the future generations was buried along the track of the upcoming route.

The Vilnius City Municipality drastically tightens the tree preservation policy and increases the restorative value of trees by about ten times. Compensation corresponding to it should be paid to the city for all vegetation – legally or illegally – cut down. For illegally felling a protected fairly mature tree one would have to pay even six or seven figure sums.

During the NATO Summit on July 10-13, residents of Vilnius will be able to travel by public transport for free. This decision was adopted by the Council of the capital on 7 June. In this way, the municipality will reduce possible inconveniences for residents due to traffic and movement restrictions in the city.

The use of artificial intelligence in the EU will be regulated by the AI Act, the world’s first comprehensive AI law. Find out how it will protect you.

Lithuanian Airports, in pursuit of its strategic goal of becoming a CO2-neutral organisation by 2030, announced that it will start a modernisation programme for all buses serving passengers at Vilnius Airport in autumn this year. Public procurement procedures will be launched and 12 hybrid or all-electric buses are expected to be procured and made available to ground handlers over the coming year, replacing all diesel buses currently used by ground handlers.

Following the launch of the advance flight preclearance and screening system at the initiative of Lithuanian airports in early May, it is reported that positive results are already being observed. According to the representatives of the airports, the new system was essentially designed to manage the potential sanctioning and operational risks associated with incoming military, private charter or general aviation flights, as well as risks directly related to the actual owners of the aircraft and the passengers on board.

On 5-8 June, the Minister of the Economy and Innovation, Aušrinė Armonaitė, will pay a working visit to the USA, where she will participate in the North American Lithuanian Business Forum, meet potential investors and present Lithuania's potential in biotechnology. According to the Minister, Lithuania is becoming a hub for the US expansion in the EU, and it is therefore important to further strengthen cooperation between the two countries in various sectors.

The reconstruction of the section of Via Baltica between Marijampolė and the Lithuanian-Polish border continues, as works begin in the section of the A5 Kaunas-Marijampolė-Suwałki highway from 56.83 km to 72.50 km. On 1 June, the contract for these works entered into force, signed by the Lithuanian Road Administration with joint venture partners Fegda UAB and Tilsta UAB. Work on this section is planned to be completed by the end of 2024.

This summer, on 11-12 July, Vilnius will host the most important and biggest event in Lithuania’s history – the NATO Summit. As in other countries that have hosted the summit in the past, traffic restrictions and other changes affecting the normal rhythm of city life are expected in the capital. Vilnius City Municipality shares the most relevant information for Vilnius residents and visitors.

To improve the safety of e-scooters and other road users in the capital, Vilnius City Municipality is introducing measures to address the most sensitive problems caused by e-scooters and to clearly define the rules for their use.