The situation regarding granting Lithuanian citizenship to American ice dancer Allison Reed changed after she and her Lithuanian partner Saulius Ambrulevičius won bronze medals at the European Figure Skating Championships, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said on Wednesday.
“I watched the performance, and I liked it. Have things changed since our last decision on her application? Yes, they have. It is an achievement that both the ice dancers and the whole of Lithuania can be proud of,” Nausėda told journalists on Wednesday.
“But now, she needs to submit an application, and it will be considered according to our laws,” he added.
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Nausėda has so far rejected Reed’s request to be granted Lithuanian citizenship by way of exception twice. The decision prevented the ice dancing couple from competing at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. The President’s Office then justified the decision by saying that the ice dancer had not demonstrated special merits to Lithuania.
Speaking with BNS after the European championships, Reed said she would decide whether to apply for Lithuanian citizenship for a third time after the World Figure Skating Championships in Canada.
Under the law, the president may grant Lithuanian citizenship by way of exception to citizens of other states or stateless persons for outstanding merits to the country, who have integrated into the Lithuanian society.
Outstanding merits are defined as any activities that significantly contribute to the consolidation of the statehood of the Republic of Lithuania and the strengthening of its power and authority in the international community.
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