"The aim [...] is to establish the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in the Republic of Singapore as of January 1 next year," Deputy Foreign Minister Arnoldas Pranckevicius told the Cabinet.
"This is in line with the government's aspiration to strengthen Lithuania's international standing and its political and diplomatic relations with like-minded countries in the East Asian region," he said.
This will also open up new opportunities for Lithuanian exporters and ensure greater security for Lithuanian citizens, according to the vice-minister.
The establishment and maintenance of the embassy are estimated to cost the state 1.73 million euros next year, and around 1.4 million euros annually in subsequent years.
The embassy would be staffed by six people: the ambassador, two diplomats, two contract staff and a civil servant.
"We plan to have an agricultural attaché in the embassy in the third quarter of next year and a commercial attaché from 2023," said Pranckevicius.
Currently, Lithuania is represented in Singapore by its embassy to Japan.
"We are planning to make the embassy to Singapore a regional embassy. It could be also accredited to Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, as well as ASEAN, which is becoming an increasingly important economic player in the world," the vice-minister said.
The idea of setting up Lithuania's embassy in Singapore has been endorsed by the parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs.