Lithuanian Government agrees move its diplomatic representation to Latin America from Argentina to Brazil

The decision came on Wednesday, in response to a proposal from the Foreign Ministry.

The ministry said closure of the embassy in Argentina and opening of the consulate general in Brazil would put the diplomatic representation in line with economic and political realities.

"Lithuania is not yet properly represented in the most influential country in the region, Brazil, which is the strongest and boasts fastest growth indicators in Latin America. (...) Sao Paulo is the economic and financial center of Brazil with a concentrated Lithuanian community. Establishment of a Lithuanian consulate general in Sao Paulo would at least partly fill the gap of Lithuania's diplomatic representation in Brazil," the ministry said.

Meanwhile, bilateral relations between Lithuania and Argentina are minimal, and "Lithuania's attempts to develop bilateral relations have drawn no response from the Argentinian side," the Foreign Ministry has said.

According to data available to the ministry, about 250,000 people of Lithuanian origin reside in Brazil, as compared with a Lithuanian community of 200,000 in Argentina.

The ministry said the consulate in Brazil should be established from its budget, with two positions – a diplomat and a contract employee. According to calculations, founding and maintenance of the consulate in Sao Paulo would require 436,200 litas (EUR 126,400) in 2012.

Nevertheless, the Finance Ministry said it could not support the Foreign Ministry-proposed governmental resolution on the Sao Paulo consulate project, which would require additional funding from the state budget amid the difficult financial situation of Lithuania.