EC portfolio tailored to Kubilius' personality, Lithuania's priorities – Nauseda

VILNIUS – The European Commission's defense and space portfolio received by Lithuanian representative Andrius Kubilius has been tailored to the latter's personality and Lithuania's priorities, President Gitanas Nauseda says.

"I believe this portfolio is tailored to both Kubilius' personality and our priorities because Lithuania is a country that takes its security very seriously and responsibly, and the development of the defense industry is extremely important to us," the president told journalists in Pabrade on Tuesday.

"I wish the future commissioner (...) the best of luck, we will work closely together and I believe that he can do things in this position that will be good not only for Lithuania, but also for the European Union as a whole," he said.

Nauseda has said earlier that Lithuania should seek an economic EC portfolio, rather than a foreign policy one.

"I think it's partly an economic portfolio. Probably almost no EC portfolio is so easily identifiable as a foreign policy portfolio or an economic portfolio as they all have both of these aspects," the president said.

Earlier in the day, EC President Ursula von der Leyen allocated portfolios to members of her new team. Kubilius will be in charge of defense and space. Each of the 27 EU member states has one European commissioner. All the candidates still need the European Parliament's approval.