Lithuania's new gov't sworn in

Lithuania's 18th government led by Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte has been approved by the country's parliament (Seimas) and was sworn in on Friday, reported Xinhua.

Seventy-eight members of parliament (MPs) voted in favor of the new government's program, which was presented to the 141-member Seimas on Tuesday. Thirty MPs voted against and 20 abstained.

The new coalition government brings together the conservative Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats Party and its two junior partners- the Liberal Movement and the Freedom Party.

After taking the oath of office, Simonyte attended a meeting to discuss tougher measures to combat COVID-19 as Lithuania currently has the second highest infection rate in the European Union (EU), behind Luxembourg, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control said on Friday.

Lithuania's President Gitanas Nauseda signed a decree on Monday approving the country's new government. He described its program as "ambitious" and meeting the goals set by him in the vision of a welfare state.