Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene said on February 23 she would seek to renew discussions with Taipei on securing greater Taiwanese investment in Lithuania.
The comment comes amid discussions about whether Lithuania should change its policies and seek to improve relations with China which have soured following the opening of the Taiwanese Representative Office in Vilnius in 2021.
At the time, Taiwan pledged investment and technological cooperation with Lithuania.
“My position has not changed. I stand by what I said,” Ruginiene told reporters. “I truly believe a mistake was made in the past, and today we need to renew discussions with Taiwan. I would like to see their proposals for larger investments, what was promised before the representative office was opened.”
She spoke after being asked twice whether she maintained her position that the name of the Taiwanese Representative Office could be changed.
China has said such a move by Lithuania would be one of the conditions for restoring bilateral diplomatic relations.
However, President Gitanas Nauseda has insisted that the name of the representative office is primarily Taiwan’s responsibility and that changing it does not depend solely on Lithuania’s will. After meeting with Lithuanian political leaders last week, he said top officials share a common view on relations with China and Taiwan.
“We have said that we are open to various proposals – both from China and from Taiwan,” Ruginiene said. “We simply need to start looking at what is most beneficial for Lithuania. Decisions must be oriented toward what is most beneficial for Lithuania and its people.”
She did not elaborate on possible formats for renewed discussions, stressing that “diplomatic matters are resolved gradually and slowly”.
For the past several years, Vilnius and Beijing have disagreed over how to restore diplomatic representation in both countries following a dispute over the name of the Taiwanese Representative Office.
Since mid-May last year, there have been no accredited Chinese diplomats or other staff in Lithuania. Bilateral trade also declined sharply after the opening of the Taiwanese Representative Office in 2021. (LRT)