Lithuanian president appoints Mazeika as environment minister

VILNIUS - President Dalia Grybauskaite has appointed MP Kestutis Mazeika of the ruling Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union (LFGU) as the country's environment minister, the president's press service said.

Grybauskaite signed the respective decree on Wednesday.  

The new minister is expected to be sworn in at the Seimas next Tuesday, Karolina Froloviene, spokeswoman for the speaker of the parliament, told BNS.   

Mazeika, 36, has a PhD in agricultural sciences from the Lithuanian Veterinary Academy. He ran for mayor in Lithuania's southern town of Marijampole last month, but was defeated in the runoff vote.

The position of environment minister has been vacant since December 7, when Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis sacked Kestutis Navickas. Energy Ministry Zygimantas Vaiciunas has since been acting as environment minister.

In early February, Grybauskaite refused to appoint Irma Gudziunaite of the Lithuanian Social Democratic Labor Party (LSDLP) as environment minister.