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“It just came to our notice then. The government approved the commission’s conclusion,” Kęstutis Lančinskas, the prime minister’s national security adviser, told BNS on Friday. According to him, that decision was made earlier this month.
The government commission that inspects the transactions of strategic companies, which includes representatives of different ministries, forces of order and intelligence services, announced a negative conclusion about the plans of the group managed by businessman Gediminas Žiemelis to expand the hangar of Vilnius airport last month.
Investments in Vilnius airport are in the focus of the commission, as airports are included in the first category of companies important to ensure national security.
In recent years, Lithuanian national security authorities have been cautious of Avia Solutions Group’s investments due to its previous operations at Moscow’s Zhukovsky Airport and aviation operations in Russia.
Darius Jauniškis, director of the Department of Homeland Security, said earlier this month that intelligence had information that casts doubt on the operations and reliability of Avia Solutions Group, and that intelligence had informed decision-makers about it.
The group of companies assured that it had severed all ties with the Zhukovsky airport project in 2018. Avia Solutions Group announced that the investment in the reconstruction of the hangar would have reached 7 million. euros.
The business group describes the investment blockade as a witch hunt and urges intelligence to make all available information public.
This is not the first time that the government has blocked the development of Avia Solutions Group at Vilnius airport due to national security. In 2015, the government commission decided that the development of the FL Technics group company on its territory would not be in the interest of national security.
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