LIETUVOS RESPUBLIKOS NUOLATINE MISIJA PERMANENT MISSION O ITHUANIA JUNGTINESE TAUTOSE TO THE UNITED NA<

The Permanent Mission of the Republic of to the United Nations presents its compliments to the Protocol and Liaison Service of the United Nations and has the honour to transmit herewith the press release of the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in Washington, D.C. regarding the new GovernmenMii wt of the Republic of Lithuania. « " ^^~"^»^ ^™" '"^™ The Permanent Mission of the Republic of Lithuania to the United Nations avails itself of the opportunity to renew to the Protocol and Liaison Service of the United Nations the assurances of its highest consideration.

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News Release Contact: Rolandas Kacinskas October 31, 2000 Phone: (202) 234-5860 x 21

President approves the new

Vilnius-- On October 30, having regard to the recommendations of Prime Minister , President approved by a decree the new government of the Republic of Lithuania of the following composition:

Gintautas Bartkus - Minister of Justice Vilija Blinkeviciute - Minister of Social Security and Labor Vinsas Janusonis - Minister of Health Gintautas Kevisas - Minister of Culture Kestutis Kristinaitis - Minister of Agriculture Linas Linkevicius - Minister of National Defense Jonas Lionginas - Minister of Finance Eugenijus Maldeikis - Minister of National Economy Vytautas Markevicius - Minister of the Interior Algirdas Monkevicius - Minister of Education and Science Gintaras Striaukas - Minister of Transport - Minister of Foreign Affairs

The decree on the composition of the government enters force on the date of its signing. A new government will be empowered to act after the (Parliament) approves its program. It is expected that the government will present its program to the Seimas for consideration on November 3.

Minister of Environment is to be appointed in the nearest future, after President meets two candidates nominated for this position.

Ministers of the new coalition government are members or nominees of Liberal Union' and New Union (Social Liberals) which signed a coalition agreement together v/ith two other minor parties on the formation of the government after the parliamentary elections on October 8. The coalition named non-party members Antanas Valionis, Lithuania's ambassador to neighboring Poland, as Foreign Minister and Linas Linkevicius, Lithuania's ambassador to NATO, as Defense Minister. On October 26, newly elected Seimas adopted a resolution on continuation of the country's foreign policy. Resolution reads as follows: "International policy will be continued according to the priorities corresponding to Lithuanian Constitution and laws and defined by the President, in order to achieve invitation by 2002 to the North Atlantic Alliance - NATO - and EU membership in 2004, as well as developing good relations with all neighboring states".

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