Foreign Ministry forms commission over Lithuania’s US ambassador

Lithuania’s Foreign Ministry will form a commission to assess public information about Ambassador Gediminas Varvuolis and the situation at the country’s embassy in the United States, LRT reported, citing BNS.

“There are signals regarding the situation at the Lithuanian Embassy in the United States and Ambassador G. Varvuolis’ management style,” Remigijus Motuzas, chairman of the Seimas Foreign Affairs Committee, told BNS on Wednesday.

According to Motuzas, when information about alleged negative activity at an institution subordinate to the ministry appears in the media or public domain, the institution must establish a commission to assess the situation within five working days.

The Seimas Foreign Affairs Committee will also hold a meeting at the end of August. On August 26, ministry officials are expected to brief the committee on the situation and present the commission’s findings.

Motuzas said the meeting was being arranged because some committee members and other parliamentarians had publicly commented on the situation in ways that did not always reflect reality.

His comments followed a BNS report that representatives of the Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats were seeking informal discussions about Varvuolis’ work. BNS reported that an invitation from committee deputy chairman Žygimantas Pavilionis and former Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė had reached the entire embassy staff.

Pavilionis confirmed to BNS that he had been communicating with embassy employees. Šimonytė said she had not spoken directly with staff working at the Lithuanian mission in Washington for a long time.

Delfi reported last week that some embassy employees had contacted the Foreign Ministry over what they described as the ambassador’s disrespectful behaviour, raised voice and long working hours. According to Delfi sources, employees also spoke remotely with the ministry’s inspector general and with the ministry chancellor, who reportedly promised concrete measures. No investigation into the ambassador had been launched, the report said.

Varvuolis has served as Lithuania’s ambassador to the United States since August 1 last year.