According to the last edition of the PCT Newsletter published in July 2017 the State Patent Bureau of the Republic of Lithuania has announced that as of June 1, 2017 it, in addition to the EPO and the Federal Service for Intellectual Property (Rospatent), could be designated as a competent International Searching and Preliminary Examining Authority for international applications filed by nationals and residents of Lithuania with the State Patent Bureau of the Republic of Lithuania, or with the International Bureau, as receiving Office.