Lithuanian foreign policy faces a sharp political fracture after the Foreign Ministry delivered an informal document in late September calling on Taipei to rename its representative office in Vilnius.
The revelation triggered intense backlash among conservative politicians in Vilnius. Žygimantas Pavilionis, vice chairman of the parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee, called for an extraordinary committee meeting to examine the actions of Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys. Pavilionis accused the minister of misleading parliament and damaging long-term national security interests.
Committee Chairman Remigijus Motuzas did not oppose the request and indicated he would coordinate scheduling with ministry leadership. Parliamentarian Vidmantas Verbickas and diplomat Ričardas Šlepavičius participated in the September 24 meeting where the document was handed to the head of the Taiwan office, Constance H. Wang.
Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius’s representative noted that the head of government prefers to see the final outcome rather than comment on the ongoing process.
The ministry’s document argued that the current name of the Taiwanese office in Vilnius hinders bilateral economic ties and urged officials to adopt a revised designation by October 1. In exchange, the document dangled several bilateral economic agreements, a prospective investment prospects pact, and a special envoy post within the ministry.
Foreign Minister Budrys defended his department’s approach while rejecting the initial reports as inaccurate. I confirm that we talked with the Taiwan side about various aspects of our relations
, Kęstutis Budrys, Foreign Minister told reporters. Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius maintained that his government’s program aims to normalize diplomatic ties with Beijing, leaving the operational path to ministerial responsibility.
Opposition figures condemned the diplomatic maneuver as an abandonment of democratic solidarity. Parliamentarian Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen warned that pressuring Taipei to rename the office signals a retreat from declared values in the Indo-Pacific region. Vilniaus universiteto Tarptautinių santykių ir politikos mokslų instituto profesorius Tomas Janeliūnas described the ministry’s move as a terrible diplomatic mistake that could have been avoided.
Conversely, coalition lawmaker Karolis Neimantas voiced support for the renaming proposal, noting that similar offices across the European Union operate under the Taipei designation. Bilateral ties deteriorated sharply after the Vilnius office opened in late 2021, prompting Beijing to downgrade diplomatic relations and apply trade restrictions.
