FOREIGN MINISTER ACCEPTS RESIGNATION OF SEVEN DIPLOMATS
Created 2003-07-25
On 24 July, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Antanas Valionis signed the orders to dismiss seven Lithuanian diplomats.
The Minister did so after receiving a recommendation from the State Security Department (SSD) to cancel the diplomats’ permission to work with classified information.
The resigned diplomats are Director of the Consular Department Gediminas Šiaudvytis, Consul General in St Petersburg Gintaras Ronkaitis and Vice-Consul Darius Ryliškis, Consul in Sovetsk Saulius Turskis, Second Secretary in the Embassy to the Russian Federation Semionas Dančenka, Counsellor in the Embassy to the Republic of Belarus Linas Valentukevičius and Second Secretary Ričardas Ramoška.
The SSD gave such recommendation following a joint investigation by the SSD and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).
According to the Law on State and Service Secrets and other legal acts, persons deprived of the right to work with classified information cannot work in the MFA as diplomats.
On the same day, Minister Valionis informed Lithuanian President Rolandas Paksas about the situation in the Ministry and the adopted decisions.
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