Today’s turmoil in domestic politics makes it difficult for the parties to find a compromise, she said.
“I have really supported the idea of trying to reach an agreement on foreign policy before the end of the spring session – that big national agreement. (&) But now, looking at the whole context, at the proposal for a snap election, I find it hard to believe that this is the optimal time for the parties to agree on such an essential area,” Čmilytė-Nielsen told Žinių radijas on Wednesday.
Efforts to achieve a consensus could be even further hindered by some political forces “starting to position themselves for the upcoming elections”, according to the Liberal Movement’s leader.
However, the Seimas speaker added, it would be wise to wait with the foreign policy discussions until the internal tensions over the possible snap election to the Seimas subside.
The political parties initiated the foreign policy agreement last year, after Russia invaded Ukraine. Different approaches to China have caused the biggest rift in the process between the ruling and opposition parties.
The Conservatives proposed coming back to foreign policy aims after local elections this spring, with the NATO summit in Vilnius approaching.
However, in the wake of the so-called “receipts scandal”, the ruling parties have diverged on the possibility of the agreement.
MP Žygimantas Pavilionis, chair of the Seimas Committee on Foreign Affairs, is still hopeful that the document will be signed before the NATO summit. However, Liberal MP Raimundas Lopata says that decisions should be taken after the Conservatives’ proposed “reset of the political system”.