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Grybauskaite made the announcement to journalists after meeting with Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevicius on Wednesday morning.

"I just signed the decree to discharge the minister as of Feb. 18," the president said.

Asked to specify other members of the government who should resign amid corruption scandals, the president said there were other ways of taking political responsibility, adding that "shadows so far fall upon the environment minister and the Agriculture Ministry, particularly its subordinate institutions."

"I leave the prerogative (of political responsibility) up to the prime minister to decide," Grybauskaite told Vilnius journalists.

In her words, a shadow corruption and non-transparent operations falling upon the ministers of health and environment jeopardizes the reputation of the entire Cabinet.