Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda has said the future of Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys in his post will depend on progress in two areas: normalising relations with China and delivering on commitments made to Taiwan.
"Certain results must be put on the table," Nausėda told reporters in Brussels. "If they are satisfactory, everything will be fine and I hope that Budrys will be able to continue in office. If not, then we will look at the matter differently."
The president said he regarded Budrys as a good minister and sought to distance him from other criticisms that have been levelled at him within the ruling coalition.
"I distance myself from all other aspects, which are sometimes the real reason why Budrys' work is criticised," he said, without elaborating. "We must be guided primarily by the interests of the country."
Nausėda added that he and the foreign minister had not diverged on any fundamental point of Lithuanian foreign policy.
