Kaunas City Municipality is completing the implementation of Kaunas city strategic plan for 2016–2022 period. During this period, the city changed significantly. In order to ensure harmonious and balanced further development of Kaunas and to strengthen the competitiveness of Kaunas in Lithuania and Europe, a new plan for the next decade is being prepared.

On Thursday, in Kyiv, Lithuanian Minister of Transport and Communications Marius Skuodis and Ukrainian Minister of Infrastructure Vladyslav Kryklii signed a Memorandum of Intent regarding the cooperation in the areas of freight and passenger transport by railway and digital permits to perform international freight and passenger transport by roads. When implemented, these agreements will open up new business opportunities and promote innovation.

On Friday, Diana Nausėdienė opened the Centre for Baltic Studies at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. Leonid Huberskyi, Rector of Taras Shevchenko National University, and Igor Korlyov, Professor and Head of the Centre for Baltic Studies, thanked the First Lady for the visit. Juozas Augutis, Professor and Rector of Vytautas Magnus University, and Julius Lukošius, Chancellor of the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports attended the event remotely.

Tourism will need help to become cleaner, safer and more sustainable after the pandemic, according to MEPs. They will vote on a report on this on 25 March.

Reducing gender, social or cultural bias in AI technologies is key, said the Culture and Education Committee in a resolution adopted on Tuesday.

President Gitanas Nausėda congratulated President Michael D. Higgins of Ireland on Saint Patrick’s Day.

President Gitanas Nausėda extended congratulations to the Holy Father on the eighth anniversary of his election as Pope and wished him health and strength in inspiring respect to every human being, awakening love for the neighbor and spreading social fellowship –a solid foundation for the future. He also thanked the Roman Catholic Church for its contribution and the example of solidarity it gave in containing the pandemic around the world and in Lithuania.

On March 10 Vice Minister of National Defence Margiris Abukevičius and Roberto Viola, Director General of DG CONNECT (Directorate General of Communication, Networks, Content and Technology) at the European Commission, had a virtual meeting on the Lithuanian and European initiatives in the area of cybersecurity and especially, elimination of technology from unreliable manufacturers and the European Commission Directive on measures for high common level of cybersecurity across the EU. It was the first bilateral meeting of the two officials.

The Ministry of National Defence has taken up to lead the discussion on the arising implementation difficulties and potential constructive solutions in a priority project of the National Defence System – provision of the Vilkas Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFV) to the Lithuanian Armed Forces at top level. Today, March 5, a Ministry of National Defence-initiated meeting took place with top executives of the Organisation for Joint Armament Co-operation (OCCAR) which mediates the Vilkas Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) procurement project, the IFV manufacturer consortium ARTEC GmbH, and one of the manufacturers Krauss-Maffei-Wegmann (KMW). Representatives of both sides discussed the progress made on the project, IFV delivery timeline and technical shortfall identification.

Mayor of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, has made a daring promise to host an open air discotheque if Lithuania wins the Eurovision Song Contest this year. The city aims to invite both the visitors and the residents to celebrate and dance together by drawing inspiration from the Lithuanian entry The Roop’s song ‟Discoteque.”