23 July 2013 - Ambassador Patricia Ann V. Paez presented her Letters of Credence to Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite on June 17 at the Presidential Palace.

After the ceremony for the presentation of credentials, President Grybauskaite and Ambassador Paez also had a private meeting, in which the Ambassador conveyed the greetings and congratulations of President Benigno S. Aquino III to the Lithuanian Head of State for her having been awarded with the Charlemagne Prize for her efforts to deepen integration within the European Union (EU) and on Lithuania’s assumption of the presidency of the European Council.

The Philippine envoy also congratulated President Grybauskaite for having “broken the glass ceiling” with her election as Lithuania’s first female president.

President Grybauskaite noted that Latvia “has good relations” with the Philippines and informed Ambassador Paez about the domestic reforms she is undertaking, including her campaign against corruption in government. The Ambassador likewise informed her about President Aquino’s anti-corruption campaign which yielded positive political and economic results, proving that “good governance is good economics.” 

The Lithuanian president also noted the economic dynamism of the Philippines which posted a 7.8% growth in the first quarter of this year. Ambassador Paez likewise underscored the remarkable economic recovery of Lithuania which is now touted as one of the fastest growing economies within the EU.

They also discussed other issues of mutual interest between the Philippines and Lithuania. At the end of their meeting, President Grybauskaite gave Ambassador Paez a box of Lithuanian chocolates.

During her official visit to Lithuania, the Ambassador also met with the following officials from Lithuania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Vice Minister Neris Germanas; Director of the Department for State and Diplomatic Protocol; Ambassador Rasa Kairiene; and Director of the Department for Latin America, Africa, Asia and the Pacific Ms. Ina Marciulonyte. 

They discussed the way forward for the conclusion of the pending bilateral agreements between the two countries in the fields of education and culture, avoidance of double taxation, tax information exchange, and the reciprocal promotion and protection of investments. They also agreed to establish a  mechanism for regular bilateral consultations and ways to promote tourism as well as  to intensify people-to-people contacts. END