The Lithuanian parliament on Tuesday elected Mindaugas Sinkevičius, head of the country's Social Democratic Party (LSDP), prime minister by a majority of 80 to two, with 28 abstentions.
President Gitanas Nausėda last week nominated Sinkevičius, 42, as prime minister to succeed Inga Ruginienė, also of the centre-left LSDP, in the course of a restructuring of the governing coalition.
Sinkevičius will have to present his cabinet and programme for a further vote in parliament following formal appointment by Nausėda. He has mostly served as mayor of the central municipality of Jonava since 2011.
In his address to parliament, Sinkevičius pledged stability and responsible leadership.
"Lithuania is going through difficult times," he said in reference to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which is seen by Lithuanian leaders as a direct threat to their own country.
Lithuania, a member of both the European Union and NATO, borders the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad and Russian ally Belarus.
The LSDP switched coalition partners in mid-June, ending cooperation with the populist nationalist Dawn of Nemunas. The new multi-party coalition holds 75 seats in the 141-seat parliament in Vilnius.
