New paragraphs 3-4.
“The president signed a decree to appoint Sinkevičius as the minister of economy,” Lina Antanavičienė, the president’s senior adviser, told journalists after Grybauskaite met with Sinkevičius on Monday morning.
In her words, the president and Sinkevičius discussed the need for Lithuania to highlight the priority sectors of economy, which should be granted more finances and resources. In Grybauskaitė’s words, the sectors could include laser sciences, laser production and financial technologies.
Grybauskaitė also urged the minister-designate to shift the focus to small-sized enterprises and improvement of performance of the Tourism Department, said the adviser.
Sinkevičius, 27, was last week proposed to the position by Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis and will become the youngest minister in Lithuania’s post-independence history.
The post of economy minister has been vacant after the Social Democratic Party left the ruling coalition. The former economy minister, Mindaugas Sinkevičius, was against the party’s position but obeyed the will and left the post.