Baltic News Service / - BNS
August 23, 2013 Friday 10:58 AM EET
Lithuania: opposition MP sees recall of ambassadors as destruction of
diplomatic corps
VILNIUS, Aug 23, BNS - The government is destroying Lithuania's
diplomatic service with its own hands, the parliamentary Liberal
Movement group elder Eligijus Masiulis said in comment of Foreign
Minister Linas Linkevicius' bid to recall ambassadors to Hungary and
Azerbaijan.
"The state should defend its diplomatic service, not destroy it,
especially when there are enough signs demonstrating we're faced with
a provocation. We have to regret that the government together with the
foreign minister have slipped on the first possible banana peel," the
opposition MP said on Friday.
In his words, the recall of the ambassadors from Hungary and
Azerbaijan shows extreme vulnerability of Lithuanian institutions.
Earlier on Friday, Linkevicius submitted a proposition to the
parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee to recall Ambassador to
Hungary Renatas Juska and Ambassador to Azerbaijan Arturas Zurauskas
after they lost confidence of state leaders.
In audio recordings leaked on youtube.com, the diplomats share their
personal insights into the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan,
the home situation in Turkmenistan and make remarks about Lithuania's
state leaders. The recordings were not officially found authentic.
In Masiulis' opinion, the reaction to the secret recordings of
questionable authenticity created a bad precedent, which shows
immaturity of Lithuania's state institutions implementing state
foreign policies.
The parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee will consider the
proposition on Monday. Its decision will be a recommendation.
Under the Constitution, ambassadors are recalled by President Dalia
Grybauskaite in response to a relevant proposition from the
government.
From: Baghdasarian
August 23, 2013 Friday 10:58 AM EET
Lithuania: opposition MP sees recall of ambassadors as destruction of
diplomatic corps
VILNIUS, Aug 23, BNS - The government is destroying Lithuania's
diplomatic service with its own hands, the parliamentary Liberal
Movement group elder Eligijus Masiulis said in comment of Foreign
Minister Linas Linkevicius' bid to recall ambassadors to Hungary and
Azerbaijan.
"The state should defend its diplomatic service, not destroy it,
especially when there are enough signs demonstrating we're faced with
a provocation. We have to regret that the government together with the
foreign minister have slipped on the first possible banana peel," the
opposition MP said on Friday.
In his words, the recall of the ambassadors from Hungary and
Azerbaijan shows extreme vulnerability of Lithuanian institutions.
Earlier on Friday, Linkevicius submitted a proposition to the
parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee to recall Ambassador to
Hungary Renatas Juska and Ambassador to Azerbaijan Arturas Zurauskas
after they lost confidence of state leaders.
In audio recordings leaked on youtube.com, the diplomats share their
personal insights into the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan,
the home situation in Turkmenistan and make remarks about Lithuania's
state leaders. The recordings were not officially found authentic.
In Masiulis' opinion, the reaction to the secret recordings of
questionable authenticity created a bad precedent, which shows
immaturity of Lithuania's state institutions implementing state
foreign policies.
The parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee will consider the
proposition on Monday. Its decision will be a recommendation.
Under the Constitution, ambassadors are recalled by President Dalia
Grybauskaite in response to a relevant proposition from the
government.
From: Baghdasarian