According to The Lithuania Tribune Lithuanian foreign debt increased in the last quarter of the year 2011 by 1.4% (1.1 bln litas). Total foreign debt consists of both governmental debt and private enterprises’ debts. Throughout whole year 2011 foreign debt of Lithuania increased by 3.1% and reached 85.7 bln litas. Ratio of debt to GDP in 2011 decreased from 87.4% (in 2010) to 80.8%. The biggest part of the foreign debt is constituted by government’s…

Ruling coalition in Lithuania is not going to be dissolved after Minister of the Interior Raimundas Palaitis resigned on March 19, as The Lithuania Tribune writes. Raimundas Palaitis resigned after making a controversial hasty decision to fire heads of the Financial Crime Investigation Service – Vitalijus Gailius and Vytautas Girzadas. Former Minister said: “I would like to say that I have no regrets whatsoever over my decision. I feel I was acting legitimately and rightly…

As Bloomberg Businessweek writes current coalition government may be dissolved, which brings about an option of early elections or working in minority government until elections in October. Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius, leading Homeland Union requested Internal Affair Minister Raimundas Palaitis to resign, which he (with support of President Dalia Grybauskaite) refused to do. It led to tensions between Homeland Union and the Liberal Center Union which seem to make the further work of coalition impossible….

According to The Lithuania Tribune 3,000-3,500 people participated in the protest against new rules concerning education in the minority schools held in Vilnius on March 17, 2012. Demonstration started in front of the parliament and then moved on to the government’s offices where rally took place. Protests were of a peaceful character, no serious incidents were observed. Protests concern a new Law on Education, adopted a year ago, which extends the use of Lithuanian language…

As The Lithuania Tribune writes Lithuanian GDP increased more than expected in the last quarter of 2011. When it comes to investment data the growth reached 10% and growth of the export, even though slowed down, still exceeds growth of import. At the beginning of the year income of the central government exceeded its expenses. Additionally, in January there was growth of over 16% in the retail sector. Newspaper points out “decreasing unemployment, lower inflation…