Andrius Mazuronis, Deputy Speaker of the Seimas and Andrius Vyšniauskas, a member of the Seimas opposition, and Andrius Vyšniauskas, a member of the largest ruling group in the Seimas, also jokingly clashed on the „24/7“ programme on „Lietuvos rytas“ TV.
Mazuronis pointed out that the country's foreign policy has recently been characterised by a lot of distractions and a lack of solidity. The politician is convinced that important decisions are often taken without consulting either within the country or with foreign partners.
According to the Vice-President of the Seimas, the main goal of foreign policy leaders is to enjoy short-term glory. „Foreign policy today is in a deep hole, if not a knockout,“ Mazuronis said on the „Lietuvos rytas“ television programme.
The politician pointed out that the conservative leader in charge of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was failing to defend the interests of our country. „What kind of security can we talk about when strategic issues, transit issues through our territory, are being solved without us“ wondered the Seimas opposition representative.
At the same time, conservative Andrius Vyšniauskas, who is running for the Labour Party's leadership, rejected A's accusations. Mazuronis against G. Landsbergis.
The parliamentarian insisted that the Minister of Foreign Affairs had good relations with foreign partners and was doing an excellent job. „In my opinion, the Minister is doing a good job,“ Vyšniauskas said.
He was pleased that Lithuania had many friends in the world and that this was a great achievement of foreign policy. „The fact that Lithuania has many friends it can call, from Washington to Delhi to New Zealand politicians, seems to me a good thing that should be continued,“ the conservative said.
The politicians also commented on what President Gitanas Nauseda's position on the interpellation planned by the opposition against Landsbergis could mean.
As is well known, this week, representatives of the Presidential Office criticised this initiative of the opposition. But the opposition believes that this stance may also mean that the Presidency does not feel that it has done all its homework in the Kaliningrad transit story.
Mazuronis suggested that the responsibility for the chaos that has arisen as a result of the imposition of sanctions on Russian cargo to Kaliningrad, which has become a burden for our international partners, lies not only with the Ministry but also with the Presidency.
„Our foreign policy of doing first and then seeing what happens is becoming toxic not only for ourselves but also for our partners,“ Mazuronis said.
Vyšniauskas believes that the President's position may be softened due to the situation requiring a common focus and changes in his team. „I see that the President's position is becoming more cohesive, which is very positive,“ said the conservative, who in turn criticised the opposition for being distracted by the Kaliningrad transit story.
At the same time, Mazuronis reproached that political censorship was emerging in Lithuania. „Lately, we have been facing censorship of political criticism or political debates, where any statements that are not to the liking of the ruling party are considered useful for Russian propaganda. This approach is unfair“, believes the opposition representative.
