A declaration on the establishment of a Lithuanian-Polish-Ukrainian tripartite parliamentary assembly will be signed in Lutsk, Ukraine on May 20. Parliamentary Speaker Arturas Paulauskas, Poland's Parliamentary Speaker Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz and their Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Lytvyn will ink the document. The idea was developed after Lithuania and Poland's presidents performed a successful mediation mission during the crisis that erupted after Ukraine's presidential elections in December. The two leaders' role in Ukraine has been applauded by the international community. The tripartite parliamentary assembly is expected to serve as a tool in conveying Poland and Lithuania's EU and NATO integration experience to Ukraine.
The Lavoriskes-Kotlovka international border post will be closed on June 1, and will remain out of commission for one year. Motor and pedestrian traffic through the post will be suspended due to infrastructure development on the Belarusian side, the Lithuanian State Border Guard Service reported. As of June, Lithuanian and Belarusian citizens that intend to cross the border and have nothing to declare will be redirected to the Sumskas-Losa post. Foreign citizens bearing the necessary travel documents will be allowed through the international border post of Medininkai-Kamenyi Log as usual.
Kaunas police are on the lookout for a thief who robbed Interior Minister Gintaras Furmanavicius of his belongings on May 12. While Furmananvicius was dining at a local restaurant, a pick-pocket removed the minister's wallet from his coat, which was hanging next to the table. The politician lost some 6,000 litas (1,739 euros), several bankcards, his service document, and other personal documents. Police officers maintain that finding the thief is a matter of honor to them.
Representatives of the world's largest organization for protection of animal rights 's People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals 's are going to stage a protest next to Benetton, the Italian-equity store, in downtown Vilnius. PETA will urge the prominent clothes retailer to boycott Australian wool, arguing that such wool was obtained by skinning sheep alive.
