“This is good news about Jovita Neliupšienė. It is an outstanding personal achievement, a great victory for Lithuania and a recognition of our school of diplomacy in the broadest sense. Being the EU Ambassador in the world’s capital is one of the most important diplomatic posts for the EU worldwide. I am delighted that a very experienced Lithuanian diplomat will be taking the position,” Foreign Minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis said.
The newly appointed Vice-Minister, Šatūnas, will be responsible for EU policy and implementation, EU trade policy, relations with the EU institutions, and the coordination of sanctions. Šatūnas will also be responsible for bilateral relations with European countries, as well as Lithuania's development cooperation policy and its implementation.
“Today we are living in a period of many crises in parallel. Staying in close contact with our partners in other European capitals is one of our most important tasks. With more than 20 years in the diplomatic service, Šatūnas is an experienced diplomat with an excellent knowledge of EU policy and implementation. Having previously worked in the fields of energy and trade policy, Šatūnas has a wide range of experience in inter-institutional coordination and managing large teams,” Landsbergis noted.
Before this appointment, Šatūnas was the Head of the Cabinet for the Foreign Minister. Before returning to Lithuania, Šatūnas worked at the European Commission, serving as the Chief of Staff to Lithuanian Commissioner, Virginijus Sinkevičius. From 2019 to 2022, Šatūnas worked in Brussels as Deputy Permanent Representative of Lithuania to the EU (COREPER1 Ambassador) and later became a Temporary Permanent Representative to the EU and COREPER2 Ambassador. He worked in the US State Department, and the Lithuanian Embassies in Washington and Riga.
