Lithuanian parlt speaker hopes president's remarks will bring positive results

VILNIUS - Speaker of the Lithuanian Seimas Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen hopes the remarks made by President Gitanas Nauseda in his annual State of the Nation Address will lead to positive results.

"In the president's speech, first of all, I heard the government's priorities highlighted, including health care, education, environmental protection, other important areas, family policy," the Seimas leader told reporters on Tuesday.

"I am happy that the president has noticed these priorities, and that will help to achieve positive results in all these areas sooner," she added.

The speaker said she viewed the president's criticism as "an inevitable part of this genre".

In his annual address, Nauseda criticized the health and education reforms, the poor state of roads, called for a plan to support Ukraine, to reduce social exclusion and income inequality, and to strengthen the family policy. He also spoke a lot about national defense issues.

Among other things, commenting on the so-called "receipt scandal", the president the Chief official Ethics Commission ineffective, adding that it "does not seem to be willing to take the initiative and act, but rather is looking for an excuse to do nothing".

For her part, Cmilyte-Nieslen said she was "a little surprised" by the COEC criticism.