“Lithuania values the recommendations provided by the International Aid Transparency Initiative. As Lithuania has not yet joined the IATI initiative, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will not comment on the report on the Lithuanian development cooperation aid,” the ministry said in a response to BNS.
The ministry’s officials maintain that joining the IATI, as demanded by experts, would cost Lithuania additionally, however, the possibility is considered.
In an index published by the London-based organization Publish What You Fund last week, Lithuania was listed among the worst performers in terms of the transparency of support. Lithuania was mainly criticized for lack of operational planning, as well as for alleged failure to publish financial data of support to other countries.
In the index of 68 countries, Lithuania ranked 65th above China, Greece and Cyprus. Meanwhile, the top showers were the United Nations Development Program and support organizations of Great Britain, the United States and other international groups.
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