Vilnius, April 17 (ELTA) – The Association of Professional Journalists (ŽPA) and the Culture Assembly will hold one more protest against the ruling coalition’s plans to pass amendments to the Law on the Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT) and change management practices at the public broadcaster.

On Friday, at the presentation of the upcoming rally, ŽPA Chairwoman Birutė Davidonytė urged people to attend the next protest that will take place in Vilnius Cathedral Square at 4 p.m. 25 April.

She says the government was not impressed by tens of thousands taking part in past demonstrations near Parliament and said that protests need to grow.

Karolis Kaupinis, member of the Culture Assembly initiative group, says the issue of the public broadcaster should not be handled by politicians who lack arguments why the changes are needed and what they are about altogether.

At the event on Friday, a symbol of the protest movement was presented – a bulldozer with the inscription “LRT amendments” and red roses painted on it.

The vehicle will be parked near parliament for the duration of deliberation of the amendments as a symbol that the Social Democratic Party (LSDP), whose symbol is a red rose, is attempting to pass the bill in a bulldozer-like manner.

LRT law amendments are currently being considered by the Seimas Committee on Culture and will be included in the Seimas agenda afterwards.

As reported, if passed, the amendments would establish a new governing body – the LRT Board. Changes would be made to the LRT Council and dismissal of the LRT director general would be facilitated.

Moreover, other media outlets would be prohibited from participating in LRT TV channels and its website lrt.lt without prior consent of the LRT Council. Representatives of other outlets would be allowed to create content on LRT only with the approval of the LRT Council and after declaring conflicts of interest.

The Venice Commission is assessing the latest amendments as a matter of urgency.

Vilnius, April 17 (ELTA) – On Friday, President of Lithuania Gitanas Nausėda took part in a video conference regarding the Strait of Hormuz security initiative launched by French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Leaders discussed the situation around the Strait of Hormuz, issues of ensuring maritime freedom, coordination of the international community’s actions, economic challenges faced by the shipping sector and aid to the stranded vessels and crews.

According to President Nausėda, Lithuania is ready to contribute to protecting ‌shipping in the strait.

The head of state says Iran is a threat to security and stability as are Russia and Belarus. He noted that the Iranian regime also contributes to Russia war against Ukraine.  He expressed hope that all coalition members agree that Iran’s nuclear capabilities would pose a threat to the transatlantic security.

Therefore, Nausėda says other countries must be ready to immediately consider possibilities how to support the United States and contribute to ensuring stability in the Strait of Hormuz.

The president welcomed proactive measures of France and the UK striving to enhance regional security. He emphasised the importance to step up synchronised response with like-minded countries and the importance of close coordination with the USA.

The meeting also discussed the possibility of a multilateral mission striving to ensure safe shipping in the strategic region.

The summit involved leaders from around 40 countries, including leaders of countries of the Middle East.

Iran began blocking shipping in the Strait of Hormuz since the start of the Middle East conflict. Tehran threatens with and conducts attacks against tankers and cargo vessels, and restricts shipping in the trade route of global importance, resulting in a spike of oil prices.

Vilnius, April 17 (ELTA) – Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė’s visit to Spain, scheduled for Saturday, has been cancelled.

“The prime minister’s visit to Spain will not take place due to scrapped and delayed flights,” adviser to the prime minister, Ignas Dobrovolskas, told the news agency ELTA on Friday.

The head of government was planned to visit Barcelona on 18 April to participate in the summit “In Defence of Democracy”, to meet with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama.

The prime minister was also scheduled to participate in the event titled “The Global Progressive Mobilisation”.

Vilnius, April 17 (ELTA) – On Friday in Vilnius, Minister of National Defence Robertas Kaunas met with Minister of Defence of Moldova Anatolie Nosatii in Vilnius. They discussed strengthening regional security and defence capabilities, defence reform and bilateral cooperation, reports the Ministry of National Defence.

Minister Kaunas underscored that Moldova’s EU membership aspiration and implemented reform was a signal to Lithuania to step the cooperation with the country. 

“A strong, democratic and prosperous Moldova is in our strategic interest. Lithuania is ready to continue the cooperation with Moldova, especially in cybersecurity, as well as to exchange experience and joint forces to strengthen security of both countries,” said Minister of National Defence Kaunas.

Lithuania is prepared to assist Moldova with countering disinformation, ensuring cybersecurity and conducting military training, including career military training and NCO training.   

Other themes addressed at the meeting were geopolitical challenges and Russia was named as a direct threat for the long-term.

Minister of Defence of Moldova will also visit the Lithuanian Air Forces Headquarter and Colonel Juozas Vitkus Engineer Battalion, and meet with representatives of the Uncrewed Systems Training Centre and the Drone Training School.

Vilnius, April 17 (ELTA) – ELTA Brief provides a concise overview of the key events of Friday, 17 April, in Lithuania and around the world.

On Friday, an association of journalists and representatives of the culture sector announced an upcoming strike next week over amendments to the public broadcaster law. Law enforcement has again arrested former partner of the BaltCap fund, Šarūnas Stepukonis, on suspicion of misappropriating EUR 42 million. The Social Democratic Party (LSDP) claims to have found a recording device concealed in a pen during a closed meeting of its council and thinks that the pen might belong to a journalist from the public broadcaster.

LITHUANIAN POLITICAL NEWS

A pen with in-built audio recording equipment was found at a closed sitting of the Social Democratic Party’s (LSDP) council on Thursday. The party claims that it might belong to Eglė Samoškaitė, a journalist from the public broadcaster LRT, and has contacted the police. Members of the party claim that the journalist entered the premises where the sitting was held, sat among its participants and imitated losing a pen. The item was checked when suspicion arose that it could be a concealed audio recording device. The party says the pen was opened and found to contain a microphone either for making audio recordings or to livestream audio. The LSDP asked law enforcement to open a pre-trial investigation to determine whether audio was livestreamed or if recordings were made and, if so, to what extent and for what purposes, and if audio recordings were transferred to third parties. The journalist denies eavesdropping accusations. LRT stated that the situation was discussed with journalists covering the LSDP council sitting and they denied any wrongdoing.

The Prosecutor General’s Office has transferred to court the criminal case involving businessman Vilhelmas Germanas, Mindaugas Navickas, who is the husband of former social security minister, and two other individuals. They are suspected of fraud and document forgery. According to law enforcement, the organised group led by Germanas and Navickas misappropriated property valued EUR 24 million. They are suspected of obtaining cryptocurrency mining equipment, some of which was transported out of Lithuania, whereas the supplier of the equipment was falsely told that some of the items were purportedly damaged. It is alleged that taking advantage of this scheme the defendants unlawfully obtained funds belonging to other individuals. Germanas denies the allegations. This criminal case was separated from another pre-trial investigation linked to the company Foxpay. The Financial Crime Investigation Service (FNTT) previously announced that, probing Foxpay’s activities, it was discovered that a group of people might have laundered at least EUR 17 million.

Vilnius Regional Court has begun hearings in a terrorism case involving parcels containing incendiary devices. Chargers were brought against five men who pleaded not guilty. Five individuals, citizens of Lithuania, Russia and Ukraine, are suspected of acting in an organised group that plotted and planned to carry out terror attacks in different European countries. Based on the pre-trial investigation, on 19 July 2024, a Lithuanian citizen, acting together with accomplices, used DHL and DPD international parcel delivery services to send 4 parcels containing home-made explosive-incendiary devices to several European countries. One parcel caught on fire at Leipzig airport, the second one went ablaze in a DPD truck in Poland, the third caused a fire at a DHL warehouse in Birmingham, but the fourth failed to detonate. According to law enforcement, the defendants are perpetrators of terror attacks, whereas their organisers linked to the Russian military intelligence cannot yet be apprehended by Lithuanian law enforcement.

The Pentagon has informed Lithuania of possible delays in deliveries of US-made ammunition due to the conflict in the Middle East. The Ministry of National Defence said on Friday that Lithuania is in constant contact with the Pentagon regarding deliveries of military equipment and ammunition purchased from the United States and relies on official information provided by the allies. The ministry did not specify the potential impact of the delays. Reuters reported that protracted war with Iran is depleting arms stockpiles and, as a result, US weapons deliveries to European allies have been delayed, including weaponry under contracts already signed and prepaid. The report said several countries in the Baltic and Nordic regions in strategic positions for Europe were affected. Most concern is voiced about the Baltic and Nordic countries that share borders with Russia.

The Association of Professional Journalists (ŽPA) and the Culture Assembly next week will hold one more protest over the proposed amendments to the Law on the Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT). The protest will take place in Vilnius Cathedral Square on 25 April. The organisers have also presented a new symbol of the protest – a bulldozer covered in red roses and an inscription “LRT amendments”. According to the organisers, the bulldozer will be parked near the Parliament building for the duration of deliberations of the amendments. Karolis Kaupinis, a member of the initiative group of the Culture Assembly, said that demonstrations are held in an attempt to draw the attention of President Gitanas Nausėda and express disapproval of the ruling parties’ intentions to make changes at the public broadcaster. Last week, the rally titled “Hands Off Free Speech! We Will Not Give Up” took place in Independence Square drawing around 10,000 participants.

LITHUANIAN BUSINESS NEWS

Law enforcement has once again arrested Šarūnas Stepukonis, former partner of the BaltCap fund, who is suspected of misappropriating EUR 42 million. The European Public Prosecutor’s Office has confirmed this to the public broadcaster LRT. Giedrius Janonis, spokesman of the District Court of Vilnius City, told ELTA that this week a judge satisfied prosecution’s request in this pre-trial investigation and authorised Stepukonis’ arrest for three months. According to the Financial Investigation Service (FNTT), it was requested to tighten pre-trial detention measures against Stepukonis who is suspected of misappropriation of very high value assets belonging to a private capital fund, thus potentially causing serious damage to EU institutions. The court ruling may be appealed. Stepukonis was detained for the first time in Vilnius in February 2024. Later, he had to wear a tracking device and last December this supervision measure was changed to a written promise not to leave the country. Stepukonis is obliged to register with the police. 

Wizz Air will launch a new route connecting Vilnius and Prague from September, the Hungarian low-cost carrier said on Friday. Flights between Vilnius Airport and the Czech capital will operate three times a week – on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays – from 5 September, with fares starting from EUR 14.99. Continuing its expansion, the airline also announced eight additional routes for the summer season from Vilnius to Tirana, Tallinn, Nice, Podgorica, Keflavik, Krakow, Gdansk and Turku. Most of them are already in operation, while services to Gdansk will begin on 2 May and to Podgorica on 7 June. Ticket prices are expected to range from EUR 15 to EUR 50.

FOREIGN NEWS

Iran’s foreign minister said the Strait of Hormuz would be fully opened to shipping during the ceasefire. It is unclear whether Abbas Araghchi was referring to the 10-day ceasefire agreed between Lebanon and Israel, which came into effect at midnight, or to the previous two-week ceasefire between Iran and the United States, which began on 8 April. After this announcement, oil prices fell by about 10 percent. The US president immediately welcomed the decision on his social network but added that the US blockade of Iranian ports would remain in place until a peace deal with Tehran was reached. According to Donald Trump, “this process should go very quickly”. Earlier on Friday, he also said a peace deal with Iran was very close.

As the war with Iran has dragged on, it rapidly depleted arms stockpiles and forced the US to delay its weapon deliveries to European allies. This was reported by the Reuters, whose sources say there are delays in shipments of weapons already under contract that have already been signed and paid for in advance. According to the report, the United States has already informed its allies about the delays, and the biggest concern is expressed in the Baltic and Scandinavian countries that share borders with Russia, for which the supply of American weapons is a matter of national security.

After more than six weeks of war, a ten-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah came into force at midnight. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), more than 1,700 people were killed in this conflict. More than a million people were displaced. Lebanon was drawn into the war in the Middle East after Iran-backed Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel on 2 March in retaliation for the assassination of the Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Israel responded with large-scale strikes across Lebanon and a ground offensive in the southern part of the country, part of which it now controls.

Vilnius, April 17 (ELTA) – Outcraft AI, an agentic AI platform building autonomous revenue agents that execute real-time customer engagement across voice, SMS, email and WhatsApp, has raised €2 million in pre-seed funding from Practica Capital, reports startup association Unicorns Lithuania.

Outcraft AI is built around a simple but increasingly urgent reality: companies lose revenue every day not because of a lack of demand, but because sales follow-ups are not fast enough, consistent enough, or through the right channel. 

Leads go cold, free users fail to convert, failed payments are ignored, and churn signals are missed. All while customer acquisition costs continue to rise.

At the same time, customer expectations have fundamentally shifted. Buyers expect immediate, personalised responses, while companies are under pressure to operate with leaner teams. Traditional approaches – from SDR teams to static email and SMS flows – are no longer able to match the speed, scale or adaptability required to capture the full revenue opportunity.

Outcraft AI’s solution is a new category of system: autonomous AI agents for sales and revenue execution.

Autonomous AI agents for modern revenue teams:

Outcraft AI’s autonomous revenue agents act independently to engage customers across voice, SMS, email and WhatsApp.

When a trigger occurs – such as a new inbound lead, abandoned checkout or failed payment – Outcraft AI’s agents decide the optimal next action in real time. It can call the customer, send a message, follow up across channels, answer questions, handle objections and move the interaction toward a defined outcome, whether that is booking a meeting, recovering revenue or reactivating a user.

Conversations are continuous and context-aware. If a call is missed, the system follows up via SMS, and if a message is seen but not answered, it continues via email. Each interaction builds on the last, ensuring no opportunity is lost due to delayed or fragmented follow-up.

The platform integrates with a range of popular systems including Salesforce, HubSpot, Shopify and Stripe, acting immediately on real-time customer behaviour. For example, a declined payment can trigger an immediate call, recovering up to 25% of otherwise lost transactions within minutes. A new lead can be contacted within seconds, increasing demo booking rates by 300% through instant, omnichannel follow-up.

Early customers including Pulsetto, Omnisend, Kiloverse and Warmy are already using the platform and seeing meaningful revenue and conversion uplift as a result. 

In some cases, the impact is significant enough that customers are beginning to rethink how their sales teams are structured, with roles evolving away from traditional SDR functions towards overseeing, managing and optimising AI agents. This reflects a broader shift already underway: AI is not just improving sales execution, but reshaping how go-to-market teams operate and where human talent adds the most value.

Unlike most tools in the market, which focus on generating leads, Outcraft AI is designed around execution – closing, activating, retaining and recovering customers across the full lifecycle. Its agents respond in real time, handling questions, objections, and determining next best actions, helping teams achieve outcomes without human bottlenecks.

Built for a shift in how sales teams operate:

Outcraft AI is emerging at a moment when both market conditions and technology capabilities are aligning.

On one side, companies face rising acquisition costs and increasing pressure to do more with less, making every missed opportunity more expensive. On the other, advances in AI – particularly in real-time voice and decision-making – have reached a point where autonomous execution is now viable.

Together, these shifts are enabling a new category of product: one that does not just support sales and lifecycle teams, but performs the work itself.

“We’re not building another sales tool or engagement platform,” said Will Nauseda, CEO and co-founder of Outcraft AI. “We’re building autonomous AI agents that actually do the work – engaging customers, handling conversations and driving revenue outcomes end to end. Outcraft AI has transformed how companies engage leads. By following up in seconds and across multiple channels, and increased demo bookings by 3x and recovered revenue that would have been otherwise lost.” 

Funding to accelerate product and go-to-market:

The €2 million pre-seed round from Practica Capital will be used to further develop Outcraft AI’s core product and expand its go-to-market efforts. The company had early backing from venture builder Lost Astronaut.

Outcraft AI’s longer-term vision is to build toward fully autonomous revenue execution – where AI agents manage the entire lifecycle from lead capture through to closed deal and beyond, including product demos, qualification and negotiation.

In this model, traditional SDR and sales roles are increasingly augmented or replaced by systems that operate with greater speed, consistency and scalability.

Building the future of AI-led sales:

Rather than stitching together teams, tools and workflows, businesses will rely on autonomous agents that can understand intent, engage customers directly and drive measurable outcomes.

Nauseda added, “I want to thank our early clients, Pulsetto, Omnisend, Warmy and others who trusted us and provided feedback. We believe that as AI capabilities continue to improve, the way companies convert and grow customers will fundamentally change. Our mission is to build the autonomous revenue layer – a system of AI agents that helps companies convert, retain and grow customers at scale – without being limited by human bandwidth.”

“Outcraft AI is building the orchestration layer for a new generation of lean revenue teams – where a single operator can run the entire inbound motion across every channel, at any scale," said Arvydas Bložė, Partner at Practica Capital. "We see this catering to scalable workflows: the same execution that once required an entire sales team can now run autonomously.”

“While AI is often thought of as a tool, Outcraft AI is building something fundamentally different – systems that autonomously execute revenue workflows end-to-end. We actively look for teams this early, and as a founding investor, we back exceptional founders globally when we see this level of clarity on a large, real problem. Outcraft AI is reshaping how revenue is created, captured, and scaled,” said Marius Burgaila, co-founder and CEO of Lost Astronaut.

Vilnius, April 17 (ELTA) – Deputy Minister of the Interior Alicija Ščerbaitė met with Mathieu Mori, secretary general of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe. The meeting focused on strengthening local self-government in Lithuania, cooperation with the Congress, and current challenges facing democracy in Europe, reports the Ministry of the Interior.

“A strong, autonomous, and citizen-oriented system of local self-government is not only the foundation of democracy, but also its most important safeguard of resilience. Therefore, we are consistently strengthening the powers of municipalities, encouraging civic engagement, and, together with international partners, seeking solutions to protect democracy from contemporary threats,” said Deputy Minister Ščerbaitė.

Particular attention during the meeting was devoted to the decentralisation process in Lithuania, which is closely linked to the Congress’s monitoring of Lithuania’s commitments under the European Charter of Local Self-Government. In recent years, Lithuania has taken significant steps forward. In 2023, a new model of local self-government entered into force, under which mayors assumed executive authority at the municipal level. Legislative amendments have also been prepared to enhance the efficiency of municipal institutions and expand opportunities for citizen participation.

In 2024, the management of state-owned land in urban areas was decentralised, granting municipalities greater authority in spatial planning and investment. Further reforms are currently under consideration in the Seimas, alongside a comprehensive review of municipal functions aimed at ensuring a clearer distribution of responsibilities and greater local autonomy. It was emphasised that clear competences, adequate resources, and open dialogue with citizens are essential for effective multi-level governance and help reduce the risks of populism and societal polarisation.

The Ministry of the Interior also actively cooperates with the Congress Centre of Expertise for Multilevel Governance, whose expert support contributes to strengthening local democracy in Lithuania. Through the implementation of the European Label of Good Governance, municipalities assess their performance against 12 principles of good democratic governance. In 2023, 29 out of 60 Lithuanian municipalities received this distinction.

In the context of strengthening democracy in Europe, Deputy Minister Ščerbaitė expressed support for the initiative “A New Pact for Democracy in Europe,” highlighting its importance in light of declining democratic standards in some parts of Europe. In preparation for its Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2027, Lithuania has identified strengthening democratic resilience as one of its key priorities, with particular emphasis on countering foreign information manipulation and disinformation.

Vilnius, April 17 (ELTA) – The Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP) claims that a pen with a built-in recorder was found during a closed LSDP council meeting on Thursday. The party intends to contact law enforcement as it alleges that a reporter from the public broadcaster LRT might have left the device. LRT denies the accusations.

Based on the document seen by ELTA, a police report was being filed due to alleged unlawful collection of information and unlawful use of equipment for this reason.

The party claims that LRT journalist Eglė Samoškaitė might have left the pen in question after gaining access to premises where the sitting was held.

According to the party, the journalist was sat among meeting participants and “imitated losing a pen”, which was later checked as suspicions arose that it was a secret recording device.

Based on the LSDP document, the pen was unscrewed and was found to contain a microphone either for making audio recordings or streaming audio.

The party will ask law enforcement to investigate the matter and  toassess whether audio recordings were made and if they were transferred to third parties.

Journalist Samoškaitė denied the accusations.

Augustė Mikulėnaitė, head of LRT’s public relations division, told ELTA that the situation was discussed with journalists that were working at the scene the previous day. They denied engaging in unlawful or unethical activities. LRT hopes law enforcement to clarify the situation and dispel any doubts.

As reported, the LSDP council held a sitting on Thursday evening and considered whether to continue cooperation in the ruling coalition with the Nemunas Dawn party led by Remigijus Žemaitaitis. The LSDP decided to consider the matter further after the party’s leadership elections in May.

Vilnius, April 17 (ELTA) – At the meeting of the prime ministers of the Baltic Council of Ministers held in Tallinn on Friday, the heads of the Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian governments focused primarily on strengthening regional security, defence capabilities and responding to hybrid threats, said the Office of the Government.

The need to further reinforce NATO’s eastern flank was discussed, including increasing the presence of allied forces in the region, investing in air and missile defence, and strengthening the protection of critical infrastructure. Hybrid threats were assessed, including information attacks, provocations at the border, and incidents involving meteorological balloons and other unmanned objects.

“Today’s security environment requires a united and determined response – we must strengthen our defence, resilience to hybrid threats, and work closely with our allies,” the prime minister emphasised, noting that Lithuania will allocate 5.38 percent of its gross domestic product to defence in 2026.

The meeting also focused on the progress of strategic infrastructure projects. Particular emphasis was placed on the implementation of Rail Baltica by 2030, highlighting its importance for military mobility and regional security. The Via Baltica and energy interconnection projects, which strengthen the integration of the Baltic States into European networks, were also discussed.

The prime ministers reaffirmed their continued support for Ukraine and agreed to strengthen coordination among the Baltic States and transatlantic ties.

Vilnius, April 17 (ELTA) – Minister of the Interior Vladislav Kondratovič, together with Deputy Minister Ana Burkovskienė, participated in the ministerial meeting of the European Coalition on Civil Preparedness and Resilience. The event also featured insights from former President of Finland Sauli Niinistö and European Commissioner for Crisis Management and Civil Protection Hadja Lahbib, reports the Ministry of the Interior.

“We are living in a time when crises are no longer exceptions – they are becoming the new normal. Therefore, our resilience must not be merely reactive, but a constant state of readiness. We must prepare for a wide range of scenarios, not because we fear them, but because this is the only way to ensure the security of our states and our citizens. Every euro invested in preparedness today means lives saved and stability preserved tomorrow,” said Minister Kondratovičius.

Ministers from Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, and Sweden discussed ways to strengthen Europe’s preparedness in an increasingly complex security environment. As the Coalition approaches its first anniversary, its expansion was noted, with Poland and Germany joining the initiative. The format remains open to all partners committed to enhancing civil preparedness and resilience across Europe.

During the meeting, the Coalition’s key priorities were reaffirmed: empowering citizens as the foundation of societal resilience; developing a common European Union–wide assessment of risks and threats; improving information-sharing and crisis management; protecting critical infrastructure; and strengthening cooperation between the European Union and NATO.

In light of current geopolitical challenges, particular attention was given to Russia’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine, which remains the most significant long-term security challenge for Europe. Instability in other regions further compounds the range of threats. Ministers agreed that support for Ukraine must continue for as long as necessary, and that Ukraine’s experience – particularly in countering hybrid threats and responding to attacks on critical infrastructure – should be actively integrated into European policymaking.

The meeting also underscored the importance of ensuring that efforts to strengthen preparedness and address hybrid threats are consistently reflected in future European Union funding instruments and programmes. It was emphasized that while preparedness entails costs, the cost of unpreparedness may be far greater.

Established in May 2025, the European Coalition on Civil Preparedness and Resilience aims to enhance cooperation among Member States and ensure comprehensive readiness for a wide range of threats – from natural disasters to armed aggression – while also strengthening the complementarity of European Union and NATO actions.