FOREIGN FINANCIAL SUPPORT HAS TO BE PROVIDED TO LITHUANIAN CITIZENS ON THE BASIS OF BILATERAL AGREEMENTS AND IN COMPLIANCE WITH LITHUANIAN LAW
As the Polish Foreign Ministry announced about the provision of financial support for parents of pupils from Polish minority schools in Lithuania, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania wants to stress that in such cases according to the international practice bilateral agreements on the provision of financial support have to be drawn up between the countries.
Direct financial support of foreign countries for Lithuanian citizens must also be conducted in accordance with the laws of Lithuania.On 7 October 2011, the Ministry of Social Security and Labor of Lithuania announced that the Embassy of Poland started to pay out allowances worth 1000 Zloty (EUR 233.50). Having received such support, Lithuanian citizens can lose their social security benefits or social support, if the benefits exceed fixed median income per household member.
It is also important that the financial support would be provided in compliance with the legislation that governs the protection of personal data. The Law of Lithuania on Legal Protection of Personal Data foresees that personal data shall be processed by an established data controller only after receiving the person’s consent in a written form, and if the subject is incapable, the consent of a custodian/parent is required.
Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs hopes that during the meeting of Lithuanian and Polish education experts on 7 November 2011 in Augustów (Augustavas), Polish representatives will submit proposals regarding the bilateral agreement on Poland’s financial support for parents of pupils from Polish minority schools in Lithuania.
