Seimas of Lithuania

On 18-20 August 2014, Lithuanian resort town Palanga will host the annual Conference of the Speakers of the NB8 (Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia) Parliaments, the press service of the Lithuanian Parliament informs.

Member of Parliament Kęstutis Masiulis turned to Parliament Speaker Loreta Graužinienė with a proposal to launch discussions on reducing institutions under the Seimas. According to the MP, a portion of such institutions are operating poorly, are using up substantial funds, while the results are doub...

Speaker of the Lithuanian Seimas Loreta Graužinienė says she has reservations about cutting value added tax (VAT) rate for vegetables and meat. According to the head of Parliament, only retailers would benefit from VAT rate exemptions, while producers and consumers would not.

The Speaker of the Lithuanian Seimas, Loreta Graužinienė, says she does not agree with the proposal to legalize euthanasia in the country.

Lithuanian MP Marija Aušrinė Pavilionienė of the Social Democratic Party has proposed a bill legalizing euthanasia.

Lithuania and Iran have failed to make full use of bilateral cooperation potential, says Lithuania's Social Democratic MP Algirdas Sysas who is leading a group of Lithuanian lawmakers currently in Iran.

A group of members of the Lithuanian Parliament are to observe the presidential election in Turkey on 10 August.

On Wednesday, the Lithuanian Parliament is holding an event to mark the 25th anniversary of the Gotland declaration.

Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė has signed amendments to the Passport Law, allowing to record one's ethnicity in the passport. Some opposition politicians had called to veto the amendments, saying they might create conditions for the incitement of discord.

Loreta Graužinienė, Speaker of the Lithuanian Seimas, has expressed condolences to Karlheinz Kopf, Second President of the National Council of the Austrian Parliament, for the death of Barbara Prammer, President of the Austrian National Council.

Agnė Bilotaitė, conservative MP and chair of the Parliamentary Group For Corruption-Free Lithuania, has turned to Minister of Justice Juozas Bernatonis with a request to provide proposals to address the issue of dealing with corruption in the private sector.

Through 1 August to 1 September, an exhibition dedicated to mass rallies of the Sąjūdis, a reform movement of the 1980s that led to Lithuania's secession from the USSR, will be open in the gallery of the Lithuanian Parliament.

Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė returned amendments to the Law on the Bank of Lithuania back to the Seimas for reconsideration and submitted a proposal which she says would ensure information security necessary for the stability of the financial system.

President Dalia Grybauskaitė has signed a decree to return the Metropolitan Concession Law to the Seimas for re-consideration.

Parliament plans to introduce a commission dedicated to emigration issues this fall, according to Order and Justice Party leader MEP Rolandas Paksas.

Lithuania's parliament sang the national anthem on Thursday to close the extended spring session. The parliamentarians should return to the plenary hall on 10 September for the autumn session.

The Seimas of Lithuania on Thursday backed a proposal to remove the provision on bilingual street signs from the draft Law on National Minorities which is currently being debated by the lawmakers.

The draft Law on National Minorities, which the Lithuanian parliament intended to discuss on Tuesday, has been moved to Thursday, the last day of the spring session.

The Seimas of Lithuania on Tuesday voted in favour of allowing Social Democrat Algirdas Butkevičius to continue serving as prime minister after 88 lawmakers voted in favor, 36 were against and seven MPs abstained. The president then appointed him to lead the Government

On Thursday, the Lithuanian Parliament adopted amendments to the Law on Provision of Information to the Public and the Code of Criminal Procedure initiated by President Dalia Grybauskaitė. It is hoped this will enhance freedom of the press, democracy and respect of human rights.