Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda says the nomination of the country’s ambassador to Poland is stalling because he suspects that the Foreign Ministry is trying to push through “certain people” for this position.
“I don’t like the fact that this process is being politicised. And I can give you a very concrete fact that makes me think so: a competition is allegedly announced for the post of ambassador to Poland and, mysteriously, the candidates who took part in it have disappeared like in the Bermuda Triangle,” the president told reporters in Brussels on Thursday.
Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis told BNS on Thursday that he would not comment on Nausėda’s statements, while his spokesperson Paulina Levickytė said the ministry regretted that “the president has inaccurate information”.
“Back in 2021, the Foreign Ministry depoliticised the process of nominating ambassadors. The Foreign Ministry nominates exclusively career, professional diplomats for ambassadors after they score well during the ministry’s internal selection processes,” Levickytė told BNS.
According to Nausėda, the selection process makes him believe that “certain people” are being pushed through to fill ambassadorial positions, bypassing other people who “may not be to the liking of the ministry’s leadership”.
“As long as I have such suspicions, no ambassador, whether to Poland or any other country, will be confirmed,” the president said.
His comments followed Landsbergis’ claim on Thursday that the President’s Office was stalling the appointment of Lithuania’s new ambassador to Poland.
Presidential spokesperson Ridas Jasiulionis told BNS earlier that the last nominated candidate was rejected because of his qualifications and because he did not speak Polish.
Lithuania’s Ambassador to Poland Eduardas Borisovas was recalled on September 7 after his term expired, and the embassy is currently headed by Minister Plenipotentiary Audronė Markevičienė.
In Lithuania, ambassadors are appointed and dismissed by the president on a proposal from the government and with the approval of the Seimas Committee on Foreign Affairs.
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