Aurelijus Veryga, a Lithuanian MEP and head of the Farmers and Greens Party in the coalition government, has backed the idea of renaming the Taiwan office in Vilnius to restore ties with Beijing.
“I see no problem at all in changing the name, especially since it is the main condition set by China. I have not heard any demands from China to close the office, particularly as other EU countries have similar representative offices,” Aurelijus Veryga, head of the Farmers and Greens, told LRT on Monday.According to Veryga, the name could be changed within two months following consultations between Lithuania, China and Taiwan, and after notifying the United States, thereby helping to normalise relations with Beijing.“I disagree with experts who say it takes years to fix something. I believe that if there is a genuine desire to resolve the situation, it is a matter of one, maximum two months, discussing it with all interested parties,” Veryga said.
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Veryga added that there was no basis for closing the Taiwanese office, though he argued that Taiwan should take responsibility for unfulfilled investment promises.Relations between Lithuania and China soured in 2021 following the opening of the Taiwanese Representative Office in Vilnius. In response, Beijing downgraded diplomatic ties, and as of last year, no Chinese diplomats remain in Lithuania.
