“You know, the president has enough problems with the ambassadors and the commissioner. Add the attache and the secretary – that’s all, let the minister decide these things himself,” A. Skaisgirytė told “Žiniai Radio” on Tuesday, when asked if the president has any questions about the story that was heard in the public space.
“Well, the minister certainly came with the idea that the opacity that allegedly existed in the diplomatic service should be resolved and clarified. Well, when this is done, we see that rhetoric for itself is action for itself. But let him decide these things himself,” she added.
Last week, the news portal delfi.lt reported that the secretary and assistant of the Minister of Foreign Affairs was entrusted with the duties of an attaché. After asking the ministry if it was not a coincidence that the diplomatic rank was given to two persons related to the minister, the institution noted that they were appointed to the said positions after winning tenders. Whether these persons will retire from the above-mentioned positions after the end of the term of office of the minister remains unclear.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, G. Landsbergis, spoke about the fact that during his tenure, he sought to establish a transparent procedure for the appointment of diplomats, following the scandal regarding ambassador candidacies. Then the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and the Presidency played a game of who is to blame for the fact that Lithuania, a strategic partner in the capital of Poland, does not have an ambassador. Due to these controversies, the issue of appointing 13 other diplomatic representatives was also stuck for some time.
After prolonged disagreements between the institutions, initiatives were taken in the Seimas to revise the Law on Diplomatic Service and to establish clearer terms within which a new ambassador should be appointed. It was also proposed to detail the process of candidate selection for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs – to enshrine in law the practice of organizing the selection for diplomatic positions vacant next year by September 15 of the current year. However, this amendment to the law has not yet reached the Seimas.
2024-09-03 12:25:35