Lithuania’s Economy and Innovation Minister-designate Lukas Savickas has criticised the outgoing conservative government’s position on China as “acting out of line” and suggested that Lithuania should take a unified stance with the European Union and other strategic partners.
“In recent years, we’ve seen Lithuania act out of line with its solo position in many areas. In my personal opinion, a better model is to act together with the EU and other strategic partners and maintain a common position with them. Such a policy is certainly more effective,” Savickas told the Žinių Radijas radio on Thursday.
“Today, we probably have to say that it is very important for Lithuania’s foreign policy to return somewhat to the usual model, which is maintaining unity and working together with our technical partners [on the China issue],” he said.
Savickas noted that Lithuanian businesses have significant interests in the Chinese market but added that he believes that the issue of Lithuania-China relations should first be resolved by the Foreign Ministry.
“When it comes to China, it will be the foreign minister who will have to find the key to that door [...]. I believe that first and foremost, we will need diplomatic decisions and agreements on how we work, and only then can we talk about economic ones,” he said.
Social Democrat Prime Minister-designate Gintautas Paluckas previously told BNS that his government would seek to restore diplomatic relations with China, but he does not intend to make excessive concessions.
President Gitanas Nausėda also said he is in favour of normalising relations with China, but emphasises that both sides must show interest in such a move.
Lithuania’s relations with China soured in 2021 after the opening of the Taiwanese Representative Office in Vilnius. In response, Beijing downgraded diplomatic ties with Vilnius and imposed trade restrictions.
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