Lithuania appoints official to advise Ukraine on EU treaty

“We have presented him to the Cabinet of Ministers, he took office this week,” Lithuania’s Ambassador to Ukraine Petras Vaitiekūnas told BNS on Friday.

“This is our specific contribution, and we urge others to join us as well to help the Ukrainian government in the field of reforms and use of the economic support, as well as in ensuring contact with European Union institutions. Udrėnas was selected for the position and has already started to work in the reforms group headed by the deputy chief of the presidential administration. It is our very specific contribution, a high-level official is present there, we encourage other countries to do this as well, as it is not just the economic support that is important for Ukraine but active absorbtion is also important, and the reforms process is particularly important,” Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevičius told BNS on Friday.

In Linkevičius’ words, Udrėnas has been delegated to Ukraine for six months, with a decision on extension of the mission possible later.

Ukraine’s government said an agreement on Udrėnas was made at the Wednesday’s meeting between Ukrainian Minister Ostap Semerak and Vaitiekūnas.

Semerak thanked Lithuania for directing to Kiev “one of the most experienced professionals in the field of reforms and harmonization with the European Union,” the Ukrainian government said.

According to the press release, for the last decade Udrėnas has served as chief adviser to Lithuania’s former and incumbent presidents, Valdas Adamkus and Dalia Grybauskaitė.