The group made the decision on Monday after discussing the Economy and Innovation Ministry's initiative to attract IT sector employees and companies from Russia and Belarus to Lithuania, according to Dziugelis.

"We have asked the Economy and Innovation Ministry, in cooperation with the Foreign Ministry and the State Security Department, to prepare a list or a package of safeguards within a week to ensure that the process of relocating IT companies or people to Lithuania is safe," the MP told BNS after the group's meeting.

"No doubt, it is in Lithuania's interest that people creating high value-added successfully settle here, but security [...] is just as important, so that people feel safe and that no spies or similar figures do not come along with the relocated companies," he added.

According to Dziugelis, the Economy and Innovation Ministry has also provided the task group with information showing that a number of IT companies that do not support the Kremlin and Minsk regimes have already moved to Lithuania earlier.

"We are only talking about international companies whose founders are democratic citizens," he said.

Economy and Innovation Minister Ausrine Armonaite said in mid-March that thousands of IT professionals from Russia and Belarus were interested in moving to Lithuania because of the war in Ukraine.

However, Kestutis Budrys, President Gitanas Nauseda's chief national security adviser, has warned that this poses national security risks because Russia's IT sector is controlled by security services.

Gediminas Grina, a former director of the State Security Department, has told the public broadcaster LRT that finding an infiltrator is extremely difficult.

"Infiltration is possible, especially in the IT sector, which is very sensitive. What can you check when 1,000 or 100 people arrive? They will show an ideal biography, but who will check what is behind it? I don't know what capacity you need for that," he said.

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