Things are set to get moving after a new negotiator was appointed. Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius has signed an order giving powers of holding negotiations on the diplomatic representation in Rome to Lithuanian Ambassador-at-Large Sigutė Jakštonytė.
Representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs say the order was accepted to have a legal basis for negotiations.
Deputy Speaker of the Seimas Petras Auštrevičius believes the Villa Lituania compensation issue should be once again put on the agenda of the parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs.
"It has been 22 years since the state was reestablished, and we still cannot resolve this issues with Italy. It's more than strange," he said. "Even if we assume that there might be certain legal uncertainties, I believe, Italy must have underestimated the importance of this issue for bilateral relations. It should be every country's matter of honor to resolve such issues swiftly and rationally," Auštrevičius added.
Lithuania wants a compensation for the embassy building our country owned in Rome between the wars. Russian diplomats moved into the building during WWII and have been using it ever since, so there is no chance of regaining that particular building.
