News

In response to false claims circulating publicly that changes to the conditions for issuing Schengen visas to Pakistani nationals were allegedly agreed during recent consultations between Lithuania and Pakistan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs clarifies that no discussions were held on changing the visa conditions and no related decisions were taken. The visa issuance process for Pakistani nationals remains unchanged.

Political consultations between foreign ministries are a standard format for bilateral political dialogue. They provide an opportunity to discuss bilateral relations and cooperation in international organisations, as well as to exchange views on regional and international issues.

During the political consultations held by video conference on 19 October, Lithuania and Pakistan discussed bilateral political and economic relations, cooperation in international organisations, education and consular matters, as well as current regional and international security issues. Migration and visa issues were not included as a separate item on the agenda.

Consular matters were addressed in the broader context of bilateral relations. The Pakistani side was informed of cases in which visa applicants had submitted documents that did not meet the applicable requirements. Attention was also drawn to the considerable number of visa applications that had been refused. No discussion took place on changing the visa conditions, and no decisions were taken in this regard.