Asked about his position on the matter, the prime minister denied his words cited in the weekly magazine Veidas, which cited him as saying that „nothing needs to be changed, the existing scheme is suitable.“
„Where did you read that no changes were needed?,“ he replied.
After journalists referred to the Veidas interview, A.Butkevicius said: „Don't believe everything that is written.“
„First of all, I didn't say this, this is a problem of certain people who write, and this is a very strong aspect in Lithuania, as I have noticed,“ said the prime minister who has in the past accused the media of misrepresenting his position.
In his words, a task force would submit recommendations in connection to spelling of non-Lithuanian names to the justice minister, and the ministry will have to work out a legal act.
Asked whether he intended to propose go back to the spelling of non-Lithuanian first and last names, Butkevicius said in an interview published in the Veidas weekly magazine on Monday: „A commission is currently working and will submit proposals. The bill on the spelling of non-Lithuanian names was submitted in the last tenure but was rejected. What do I think? I think nothing needs to be changed, the existing scheme is suitable.“
Under the current rules, first and last names in document cannot be spelled in non-Lithuanian characters, however, there have been proposals to change the procedures in response to requests from the Polish minority and argumentation that the existing scheme caused trouble for Lithuanian citizens who have married foreigners.
In its program, the current center-left government of Butkevicius pledged „to resolve the issue of name spelling in ID documents and the issue of spelling of street and location names in compliance with the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities.“
