VILNIUS - Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevicius stressed the need for a clear action plan on Lithuania's diplomatic relations with China, following his earlier remarks that he expects progress before Lithuania takes over the European Union Council presidency.
"I am not setting a very specific deadline. I am asking a few simple things. What is our plan? If you want to achieve something, you usually need a plan. Having that plan would answer how quickly we can act and how quickly we can achieve the commitments set out in the Government's programme," Sinkevicius told reporters on Friday.
The Sinkevicius government's programme pledges to seek the normalisation of "diplomatic relations with China to a level of diplomatic representation equal to that of other European Union member states."
Earlier this week, the prime minister said in an interview that he expects Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys to show progress in "restoring diplomatic relations" by the first half of 2027, when Lithuania is scheduled to hold the rotating European Union presidency.
Budrys expressed optimism that progress would be made but noted that setting public deadlines complicates the process. He told reporters earlier on Friday that an action plan had already been mapped out.
Sinkevicius acknowledged that restoring ties requires mutual will from both sides, but said he wants to see real effort and a defined process. He added that even if the process were to fail, it should be clear why the desired result was not achieved.
Relations between Lithuania and China soured in 2021 after Vilnius allowed Taiwan to open a representative office using the name 'Taiwanese' in the country. While the ruling coalition has recently stepped up talk of normalisation, these efforts have yet to yield practical results.
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