„I discussed the matter with the president this morning. I want to say the ambassadors have lost confidence,“ the prime minister told journalists.
The minister also said that „decisions will be made shortly“ with regard to the ambassadors to Azerbaijan and Hungary but refrained from further comment on the situation.
In Butkevicius' words, specific decisions will be made public after receipt of conclusions from the Foreign Ministry.
„I am speaking for myself now but an agreement was reached with the president to make decisions shortly,“ said the head of the government.
Under Lithuania's Constitution, diplomatic envoys abroad are appointed and dismissed by the president.
Spokeswoman to President Dalia Grybauskaite said on Monday that decisions would be made based on the conclusions of the Foreign Ministry.
„The decisions will be made after the Foreign Ministry completes its investigation and submits conclusions,“ spokeswoman Daiva Ulbinaite told BNS.
Last month, recordings of a few phone conversations were published on youtube.com, allegedly involving, as it is said, Lithuania's ambassadors to Azerbaijan and Hungary speaking to diplomats and businessmen in Vilnius. In the recordings, the men share informal personal insights of the relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevicius' visit to Russia, etc.
After the leak, the Foreign Ministry received resignation from Ambassador to Azerbaijan Arturas Zurauskas. Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius told journalists earlier on Monday that Ambassador to Hungary Renatas Juska has not tendered resignation.
Lithuania's top officials have dismissed the leak as a provocation.
