Archive for 2011

Vilnius Airport’s terminal building from 1954 was built during Stalin’s last years and still remains the airport’s main face towards Vilnius City.

Vilnius International Airport targets leading position in the Baltic region, The Lithuania Tribune reports referring to an article published in lrt.lt this week.

The Lithuanian Ministry of Transport and Communications states that the Vilnius International Airport is open to any particular candidate to assume the position as the national air carrier, and those wanting to initiate the activity are becoming increasingly selective, informs LETA/ELTA.

"Currently competition between airports is based not simply upon lowering taxes, but the amount of revenue accorded to the airlines. This system is employed by a significant portion of EU's regional airports, which are excluded from the list of major airports. Examples of this may include Kaunas International Airport", Deputy Minister of Transport Rimvydas Vastakas said.

Vilnius Airport has overcome a lengthy recession and secured almost all of the most attractive destinations by reducing its service fees to the lowest rates in the region, thereby admitting low-cost carriers such as Ryanair and Wizair.

"This is the third month, we are growing at not less than 30 percent, and all airlines, both low cost and traditional, show healthy results in growth", the Vilnius International Airport Director Tomas Vaisvila said.

Vilnius International Airport aims to serve almost two million passengers (about as much as before the downturn) this year and to operate without a loss in the following year. Within five years it is hoping to become the region’s major airport.

"If we keep moving at the current rate, with adequate promotion and growth in purchasing power, in a 5-year period we can become very strong", the Deputy Minister of Transport believes.

According to a representative of the company, which has possessed the major share of the Vilnius airport market for five years, the airport will not become the region's leader without transit passengers. And the possibility of transit passengers requires a national carrier.

"Without transit passengers, Vilnius airport cannot become a regional centre. This has been the eternal problem of the airport. The base carrier, should it be [the Latvian national airline] airBaltic, or someone else, could establish a transit hub. Because now, if there’s less than 51% of Lithuanian capital, aircraft with the Lithuanian flag cannot enter the most Eastern countries", airBaltic Executive Vice-President T. Vizgirda said.

Lithuanian air transport strategists say they can also achieve the desired goal by developing an open market.

As reported, in the current situation, there is no real possibility of moving Latvian national airline to the Lithuanian capital Vilnius at the moment, because this airport cannot ensure the necessary technical equipment and passenger flows, the chairman of the Latvian Federation Trade Unions of Civil Aviation Vladimirs Golakovssaid.

''This step, for any company, would be the final option, especially in the aviation industry, where prolonged stoppage leads to staff losing their professional qualifications, and to renew this, much time and finances has to be invested,'' Golakovs added.

The Latvian state has received an offer from airBaltic's private minority shareholder Baltijas Aviacijas Sistemes(BAS) to alter the airBaltic shareholders agreement and move the airline's head office to Vilnius.

Transport Minister Uldis Augulis (Union of Greens and Farmers) previously stressed that the state did not support this proposal, and believes that the airBaltic hub must remain in Riga.

http://www.lithuaniatribune.com

Foreign Minister Ažubalis:
“Sweden is a guarantor for Lithuanian energy security”

Outgoing Ambassador of Sweden to Lithuania Ulrika Cronenberg-Mossberg and Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Audronius Ažubalis

On 27 July in Vilnius, Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Audronius Ažubalis and outgoing Ambassador of Sweden to Lithuania Ulrika Cronenberg-Mossberg discussed intensive bilateral relations’ agenda, economic cooperation and the exclusive role of Sweden in Lithuania’s path towards energy independence.

“Sweden, as our link to the European energy system, is one of Lithuania’s guarantors for energy security. I am glad that the NordBalt is being implemented according to the plan. We also hope for Sweden’s attention and cooperation as Lithuania is constructing the new Nuclear Power Plant,” A.Ažubalis said during the meeting.

He thanked the Ambassador for her efforts to maintain close alliance between Lithuania and Sweden, and also close fellowship. The Minister voiced confidence that friendly relations between the two countries would continue to develop just as intensively in the future.

A.Ažubalis described Sweden as one of the stabilizing factors during the economic crisis. According to the Minister, today this country remains one of the most important trade partners and investors in Lithuania.
“Recently, we have turned a new page of regional cooperation of the Nordic Baltic Eight (NB8) and of the European Union’s Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, where Lithuania and Sweden are implementing many joint projects,” the Minister said.

The Swedish Ambassador to Lithuania began her tenure in 2008.

 
Protests outside the Austrian Embassy in Vilnius.
Photo: EPA

The international association of veterans of the Alpha Group counter-terrorist unit has asked the Russian President in an open letter to defend their colleague Mikhail Golovatov, whom Lithuania suspects of involvement in the firing on a demonstration in Vilnius.

The authors of the letter point out that Lithuania’s political forces are staging provocations against Alpha Group veterans to settle their home problems through a search for an enemy from without.

Golovatov was arrested in Austria on July 14th on a Lithuania arrest warrant. He returned to Moscow two days later since the Austrian police had no charge to bring against him.
Soviet troops were sent to Vilnius in January 1991 after Lithuania proclaimed independence from the Soviet Union. 14 people died in the clashes that followed.

http://english.ruvr.ru/2011/07/27/53792921.html

Statistics Lithuania informs that, based on the preliminary results of the survey of trade and catering enterprises, the turnover of retail trade, wholesale and retail trade and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles enterprises (VAT excluded) in June 2011 amounted to LTL 2713.4 million (in 2010, LTL 2158.8 million) and, against May, increased by 0.8 per cent at constant prices (in June 2010, against May, the turnover had increased by 0.4 per cent).

Over a month (in June 2011, against May), the retail trade turnover, except for trade in motor vehicles and motorcycles, grew by 0.8 per cent at constant prices. The turnover of enterprises trading in food products grew by 2.4 per cent, that of enterprises trading in non-food products (motor vehicles excluded) dropped by 4.3 per cent at constant prices.

The turnover of enterprises trading in automotive fuel in June 2011, against May, grew by 8.2 per cent at constant prices.

The turnover of enterprises engaged in the wholesale and retail trade and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles in June 2011, against May, grew by 0.8 per cent at constant prices.

The turnover of catering and beverage service enterprises (VAT excluded) in June 2011 amounted to LTL 76.5 million (in 2010, LTL 64.5 million) and, against May, decreased by 3.4 per cent at constant prices (in June 2010, against May, the turnover had dropped by 5.1 per cent).

(VAT excluded)
At constant prices, growth, drop (–), per cent

Lithuania, Israel seek to launch direct flight Tel Aviv – Vilnius

VILNIUS, BNS – Lithuania could become a center of tourism services, with Israel organizing direct flights as far as the United States, Israel's Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov said in Vilnius some days ago.

The objective of opening direct flights between Vilnius and Tel Aviv was high on the agenda of the Israeli minister's meeting Lithuania's Economy Minister Rimantas Zylius, the Economy Ministry said.

"We discussed the instruments for supporting the commercial interest for financial interest of flights between Vilnius and Tel Aviv, keeping airplanes full and tourists happy,” Zylius said after the meeting.

In Misezhnikov's words, contacts should first of all be made between travel organizers in both states to make them feel the commercial interest in promoting travel routes to Lithuania and Israel. He also proposed promoting city tourism, so-called city breaks, especially for young people who like weekend trips to European capitals. Misezhnikov said Israel's small businessmen could look into rural tourism development opportunities in Lithuania.

In 2010, about 10,000 Israeli tourists came to Lithuania and spend about 5 million euros here. Israel is one of Lithuania's priority tourism markets.

The two countries last year signed an agreement on tourism cooperation.

A very special ‘Culture Tall Ships Regatta’ will take place in Klaipeda 18 – 21 August

 
PHOTO: Sailors take up positions on the masts to lower the sails for the beginning of a regatta of tall ships.

This August, Klaipeda will be the starting point for a spectacular sailing event - The Culture Tall Ships Regatta 2011.

After the success of the Tall Ships Races 2009, this year Klaipeda is once again preparing for a fleet of sailboats.

The International Sail Training Organization (Sail Training International) is organizing this non-traditional regatta to mark the Finnish city Turku as ‘European Capital of Culture 2011’.

The Culture 2011 Tall Ships Regatta will be held after the Tall Ships Races 2011 and extend the Tall Ships festival season until September.

Klaipeda and Gdynia (Poland) have agreed to combine forces with Turku (Finland) and held the races in two phases: Tall Ships Regatta will start in Klaipeda, from where the fleet will race to Turku and then to Gdynia.

The Culture Tall Ships Regatta 2011 takes place 18 - 21 August.