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Roundup: Lithuania to enhance security measures following Paris attacks

Xinhua, November 17, 2015 Adjust font size:

Lithuania is on course to reopen the country's Crisis Management Center due to last Friday's deadly terrorist attacks across Paris, the Baltic country's Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevicius said on Monday.

"Together with all Europe we announce that we are not frightened, however, we take all necessary measures to enhance security within the country, as well as seek for more effective international counter-terrorism measures," Butkevicius told reporters after a special governmental meeting where security situation in Europe and Lithuania was discussed.

Inter-institutional Crisis Management Committee was established earlier under the government, with prime minister as the head of the committee.

However, the committee is not a permanently working institution, therefore, a counter-terrorism unit will be reopened at the State Security Department, Butkevicius said. Terrorism threat remains low in Lithuania despite recent attacks in Paris, he underlined.

Darius Jauniskis, chief of Lithuanian State Security Department, said that around 50 people who could be inclined towards extremism are being monitored in Lithuania, nevertheless, it does not mean they could be branded as terrorists.

"We are not tracking those persons, as I said; they are being monitored," Jauniskis said.

"They should not be named as terrorists immediately, let's not mislead ourselves," he stressed.

The security chief said that people of different religions, not only muslims, are among monitored persons.

MIGRANTS RELOCATION

"I would like to reassure that when resettling refugees not a single person will enter Lithuania if his history or documents raise even a slightest of doubts," Jauniskis was quoted as saying by ELTA news agency.

According to him, only families with asylum seekers status will be relocated to Lithuania.

"Very thorough examination and control will be performed," said Butkevicius.

Under the EU agreements, the country agreed earlier to home-in more than 1,000 refugees currently located in Greece and Italy.

The Government Office has announced that officers are already being selected for the counter-terrorism unit. It was decided at the security meeting that the Crisis Management Committee will coordinate counter-terrorist activities, ELTA reported.

"There is a question about how speedily information reaches decision-makers; this question will be solved," Saulius Skvernelis, minister of interior, said after the meeting.

He reiterated that terrorism threat remains low in the country. However, he called for readiness towards all potential challenges.

It was decided at the meeting to obligate security companies that ensure the safety of buildings to observe suspicious persons and inform special services about them, officials told reporters.

Also, security companies working during mass events will have to tighten checks on persons in order to prevent them from carrying weapons or other objects posing danger, Butkevicius was quoted as saying by ELTA.

The State Border Guard Service will carry out stricter screening of people at the internal and external borders of Lithuania and in the country's airports, officials said.

OTHER DEVELOPMENTS

Meanwhile, Lithuanian president Dalia Grybauskaite on Monday in Paris paid respects to the victims of the terror attacks.

"Terrorism has no borders, therefore, we are united in the face of barbaric cruelty and determined to protect our people and our values together," the president said.

On Monday, prime minister Butkevicius also attended an annual meeting of the EU ambassadors to Lithuania held by Ambassador of Luxembourg Georges Faber. Luxembourg holds Presidency of the Council of the European Union during the second semester of 2015.

"Today, all of us together, once again we express our deep sympathy to the families of victims killed during the shocking terror attacks in Paris, also to all the people of France and other countries, who have been touched by this painful tragedy," prime minister was quoted in a statement.

The head of government noted that strengthening of the EU's external borders has become a necessity. Endit