Vaitiekūnas to become foreign vice-minister in new government

Kristupas Vaitiekūnas will serve as vice-minister of foreign affairs in the new government led by Mindaugas Sinkevičius, replacing Taurimas Valys, who is set to take over as finance minister, LRT reports.

The decision for the two to swap roles was made during a meeting of the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party’s presidium on Monday. Orinta Leiputė, the elder of the Social Democratic faction in the Seimas, confirmed this to ELTA but could not specify whether Vaitiekūnas will oversee the same areas previously handled by Valys.

These areas included economic diplomacy, export and investment promotion, economic security, foreign trade policy, defence industry initiatives, and diaspora policy. When asked if Vaitiekūnas would take on these responsibilities, Leiputė stated, “Yes, but I cannot clarify the exact scope of his portfolio at this time.”

Vaitiekūnas declined to comment to ELTA. President Gitanas Nausėda last week signed a decree appointing Sinkevičius as prime minister, a candidacy approved by the Seimas. The new government will assume office once the Seimas approves its programme in a vote scheduled for next week, followed by the swearing-in of the 21st cabinet.

The current government, led by Ingrida Ruginienė, resigned after the ruling coalition was reformed and Sinkevičius announced his decision to lead a new cabinet. The coalition consists of the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party, the Democratic Union “For Lithuania,” and the Lithuanian Farmers, Greens, and Christian Families Union factions in the Seimas.