“In my eyes, at a time like now, when war is continuing in Ukraine, when changes have happened in Poland, when elections took place, it is difficult to justify Lithuania not having an ambassador. If this is related to what we have heard, that the president does not think the candidates are suitable, I find it hard to justify this,” the speaker said in an interview to the radio station Žinių radijas on Wednesday.
According to her, the situation does not benefit Lithuania, the Office of the President and the Foreign Ministry. “All of us suffer while it is crucial to continue maintaining such close ties with Poland, for cooperation to be good on all levels,” she stressed.
Čmilytė-Nielsen pointed out that the Seimas has close bilateral relations with Polish MPs, on Wednesday, she is planned to have a conversation with new Marshal of the Senate of Poland Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska.
“At the parliamentary level we are doing everything to maintain close cooperation in all areas – including security, defence,” stressed the Seimas speaker.
As reported, last week Minister of Foreign Affairs Gabrielius Landsbergis noted that the Embassy of Lithuania in Poland has been left without an ambassador for four months as President Gitanas Nausėda rejected at least two ambassadorial candidates.
The presidency in turn claimed that the proposed candidate did not speak Polish, but the Foreign Ministry disputed this. The president also claimed that the Foreign Ministry has politicised the appointment process of the ambassador to Poland and accused it of striving to have particular individuals appointed.
The term of office of Lithuania’s previous ambassador to Poland, Eduardas Borisovas, expired on 7 September 2023.