# Ministry of Transport and Communications (Lithuania)

Ministry of Transport and Communications (Lithuanian: Lietuvos Respublikos susisiekimo ministerija) is a government institution in the Republic of Lithuania which coordinates the work of road, rail, air, water, transport, postal and electronic communications sector and implements the strategy and politics of state government.

## History

The Ministry of Transport and Communications of Lithuania was first established on 11 November 1918 and it operated until the World War II. The ministry was first temporarily headed by the then Minister of Finance Martynas Yčas (1885–1941). When Lithuania regained its independence the new Government was formed on 22 March 1990, and the Ministry of Transport and Communications was re-established as well. The objectives of the Ministry include the creation of new transport strategy and legal system as well as deepening the integration of the Lithuanian transport sector into the European transport network.

## Ministers

Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania  Homeland Union  Liberal Movement  Liberal Union  Social Democratic Party  Independent
Ministry of Transport and Communications :
| Term | Minister | Party | Cabinet | Office | Office | Office |
| Term | Minister | Party | Cabinet | Start date | End date | Time in office |
| 1 | Jonas Biržiškis (born 1932) | Independent | Prunskienė | 17 January 1990 | 10 January 1991 | 358 days |
| 2 | Jonas Biržiškis (born 1932) | Independent | Šimėnas | 10 January 1991 | 13 January 1991 | 3 days |
| 3 | Jonas Biržiškis (born 1932) | Independent | Vagnorius | 13 January 1991 | 21 July 1992 | 1 year, 190 days |
| 4 | Jonas Biržiškis (born 1932) | Independent | Abišala | 21 July 1992 | 17 December 1992 | 149 days |
| 5 | Jonas Biržiškis (born 1932) | Independent | Lubys | 17 December 1992 | 31 March 1993 | 104 days |
| 6 | Jonas Biržiškis (born 1932) | Independent | Šleževičius | 31 March 1993 | 19 March 1996 | 2 years, 354 days |
| 7 | Jonas Biržiškis (born 1932) | Independent | Stankevičius | 19 March 1996 | 10 December 1996 | 266 days |
| 8 | Algis Žvaliauskas (born 1955) | Homeland Union | Vagnorius | 10 December 1996 | 25 November 1998 | 1 year, 350 days |
| 9 | Rimantas Didžiokas (born 1953) | Homeland Union | Vagnorius | 6 January 1999 | 10 June 1999 | 155 days |
| 10 | Rimantas Didžiokas (born 1953) | Homeland Union | Paksas | 10 June 1999 | 11 November 1999 | 154 days |
| 11 | Rimantas Didžiokas (born 1953) | Homeland Union | Kubilius | 11 November 1999 | 9 November 2000 | 364 days |
| 12 | Gintaras Striaukas (born 1960) | Liberal Union | Paksas | 9 November 2000 | 24 January 2001 | 76 days |
| 13 | Dailis Alfonsas Barakauskas (born 1952) | Liberal Union | Paksas | 24 January 2001 | 12 July 2001 | 169 days |
| 14 | Zigmantas Balčytis (born 1953) | Social Democratic Party | Brazauskas | 12 July 2001 | 14 December 2004 | 3 years, 155 days |
| 15 | Zigmantas Balčytis (born 1953) | Social Democratic Party | Brazauskas | 14 December 2004 | 14 May 2005 | 151 days |
| 16 | Petras Čėsna (born 1945) | Social Democratic Party | Brazauskas | 10 June 2005 | 18 July 2006 | 1 year, 38 days |
| 17 | Algirdas Butkevičius (born 1958) | Social Democratic Party | Kirkilas | 18 July 2006 | 27 May 2008 | 1 year, 314 days |
| 18 | Eligijus Masiulis (born 1974) | Liberal Movement | Kubilius | 9 December 2008 | 13 December 2012 | 4 years, 4 days |
| 19 | Rimantas Sinkevičius (born 1952) | Social Democratic Party | Butkevičius | 13 December 2012 | 13 December 2016 | 4 years, 0 days |
| 20 | Rokas Masiulis (born 1969) | Independent | Skvernelis | 13 December 2016 | 7 August 2019 | 2 years, 237 days |
| 21 | Jaroslav Narkevič (born 1962) | Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania | Skvernelis | 7 August 2019 | 11 December 2020 | 1 year, 126 days |
| 22 | Marius Skuodis (born 1985) | Independent | Šimonytė | 11 December 2020 | Incumbent | 4 years, 94 days |

## Role and responsibilities

The Ministry seeks:
* to fulfil the requirements of European Union legislation in the areas of transport, post and electronic communications;
* to modernize the transport infrastructure;
* to integrate the main highways of the country into the trans-European networks;
* to enable the development of transport business, transparent competition;
* to improve transport and communication service quality;
* to promote multimodal transport, logistics centers, public setting;
* to coordinate activities in the areas of transport, post and electronic communications;
* to take part in the development of the traffic safety policy for all modes of transport;
* to take part in the development of the policy on the reduction of negative environmental impacts of transport areas.

## The most important transport and communication infrastructure development projects

Rail Baltica is one of the priority projects of the European Union Trans-European Transport Networks (TEN-T).European gauge railway is going to link Helsinki and Tallinn, Riga, Kaunas and Warsaw. The project is funded by the European Union's TEN-T, the Cohesion Fund and the Lithuanian State, started in 2010.
Via Baltica is known as a part of the European route E67 between Warsaw and Tallinn. International Via Baltica project is helping to create better traffic conditions between the Central, Western Europe and Baltic countries.
RAIN – the project of developing the broadband Internet in all rural areas of the country. This project will be completed in 2013. The project goal is to provide broadband access to all rural districts of public administrations, hospitals, laboratories, schools, museums, libraries, public Internet access points.
MEZON 4G Internet, acting on the basis of advanced wireless technologies, providing extremely high speed (download speed - up to 10 Mbit/s). MEZON Internet operates in 53 cities and towns, it is available for about 60 percent of Lithuania's population. It is planned next year to allow MEZON mobile Internet access across the densely populated territory of Lithuania.
Dredging of Klaipėda state sea port basin, construction and reconstruction of embankments (2004–2010), improving facilities of freight and passenger service.
Reconstruction of Sventoji Port. Started in 2010. The port is going to maintain recreational, small, sport, fishing boats, small sea cruise and passenger ships.
Construction of deep-water port in Klaipėda (planned).
Reconstruction of Jakai roundabout (2010, completed the first stage of reconstruction). 4-lane overhead road is linking Kaunas and Klaipėda directions.
Reconstruction of Railway tunnel in Kaunas (2008)
Modernization of Kena border railway statio (2008)

## Institutions under the Ministry of Transport and Communications

* State Road Transport Inspectorate
* State Railway Inspectorate
* Lithuanian Road Administration
* Directorate of border crossing infrastructure
* Information Society Development Committee

## Institutions and Enterprises under the regulation of the Ministry

* Vilnius International Airport
* Kaunas Airport
* Palanga International Airport
* SE Air Navigation
* SE Inland Waterways Authority
* Klaipėda State Seaport
* SE Railway Design
* PC Aukštaitijos siaurasis geležinkelis
* SC Problematika
* SE Transport and Road Research Institute
* SC Lithuanian Post
* The State of inland navigation office
* Transport Investment Directorate
* PI "Plačiajuostis internetas"
* Civil Aviation Administration
* The Lithuanian Maritime Safety Administration
* AB "Lithuanian Railways"
* JSC "Geležinkelio apsaugos želdiniai"
* JSC "Smiltynės perkėla"
* JSC "Detonas"
* SE Lithuanian Radio and Television Centre
* JSC "Lithuanian Shipping Company"