VILNIUS, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite appointed on Monday Virginijus Sinkevicius as the country's new economy minister.
Sinkevicius currently serves as the chairman of the parliamentary Economic committee and is a member of the ruling party Lithuanian farmers and greens union (LVZS). Earlier this month he turned 27 and will be the youngest minister in Lithuania's post-independence history.
"I will represent the young people and the generation of independence," Sinkevicius was quoted as saying by news website vz.lt. He was born in 1990, the year when the Baltic state declared its independence.
The new minister told local media one of his first tasks in the cabinet would be improving performance of tourism authorities and bringing more transparency into public procurement process.
The Lithuanian president also urged the new economy minister to cut red tape and bureaucracy.
"Businesses are not happy about being monitored by 57 different institutions," Lina Antanaviciene, the President's senior adviser, told local press conference after Grybauskaite met with Sinkevicius.
Cabinet members in Lithuania are appointed by the president under proposal of the prime minister.
Before his approval, Sinkevicius and Grybauskaite discussed priorities for the ministry of economy.
The new minister of economy has been appointed following the departure of Mindaugas Sinkevicius. Mindaugas Sinkevicius, who was delegated to the position by the social democratic party, resigned following his party's decision to leave the ruling coalition.
