Foreign relations of Lithuania

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Lithuania became a member of the United Nations on September 18, 1991, and is a signatory to a number of its organizations and other international agreements. It is also a member of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, NATO and its adjunct North Atlantic Coordinating Council, the Council of Europe, and the European Union. Lithuania gained membership in the World Trade Organization on May 31, 2001. It also seeks membership in the OECD and other Western organizations.

Lithuania maintains foreign diplomatic missions in 94 countries on six continents and consular posts in two countries that are not represented by an embassy. Lithuania's liberal "zero-option" citizenship law has substantially erased tensions with its neighbors. Lithuania's suspension of two strongly ethnic Polish district councils on charges of blocking reform or disloyalty during the August 1991 coup had cooled relations with Poland, but bilateral cooperation markedly increased with the holding of elections in those districts and the signing of a bilateral Friendship Treaty in 1994. Relations with Poland are now among the closest enjoyed by Lithuania. Although a similar bilateral friendship agreement was signed with Belarus in 1995, Lithuania has joined the United States and other European nations in urging the Government of Belarus to adopt democratic and economic reforms.

[edit] Relations with other countries

Lithuania has established diplomatic relations with 149 countries.^[1]

[edit] Baltic States

Lithuania is in warm and good relations with Latvia and Estonia. Latvia takes the 1st place on the list of Lithuanian investments abroad.^[2]

[edit] Poland

Relations with Poland are now among the closest enjoyed by Lithuania, while they were very strained in the interwar period. Lithuanian President Brazauskas mentioned that relations with Poland were the best they had been in the history of modern statehood.^[3] Lithuania concluded the treaty of friendship with Poland in April of 1994.

[edit] United States

Lithuania has friendly relations with and support from the United States, who never recognized their forced incorporation into the Soviet Union. Since the fall of the U.S.S.R. in 1991, the United States and Lithuania have maintained strong economic and military ties, and the efforts of Lithuanian-Americans are said to have been an important factor both in restoring Lithuania's independence and in her admittance to NATO in 2004.^[4] Then-President George W. Bush visited Lithuania in November 2002^[5] and again in February 2007,^[6] and expressed pride in Lithuania's determined commitment to democracy over the last two decades.^[7]

[edit] Japan

Relations between Lithuania and Japan started on December 20, 1922, when Lithuania was recognized by Japan de jure.^[8]^[9] In 1939 the Consulate of Japan, headed by vice-consul Chiune Sugihara, was opened in Kaunas. It was closed in 1940 when Lithuania was annexed by the Soviet Union.

On September 6, 1991, Japan recognized the independence of the Republic of Lithuania from USSR and on October 10, Diplomatic relations were restored.

In 1997, Embassy of Japan was established in Lithuania, in 1998, Embassy of Lithuania was established in Japan.

In 2006 May, Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Taro Aso visited Lithuania, and Kirkilas, the Prime Minister of Lithuania, visited Japan just three months later. Bilateral relations were strengthen by the official state visit of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko in 2007 May.^[10]

[edit] Disputes

[edit] Latvia

Talks continue over a maritime boundary dispute with Latvia, primarily concerning oil exploration rights.

[edit] Russia

There are ongoing popular demands to formally condemn the crimes committed by the Soviet regime, including the occupation and annexation of the country to the Soviet Union.
In 2005, a fighter aircraft accompanying a Russian spy plane over the Baltic Sea violated Lithuanian airspace for about 20 minutes before crashing near Kaunas ^[11]
In October 2006, Russia's FSB security service arrested an official in the Kaliningrad region accused of spying for Lithuania ^[12]

[edit] Illicit drug trafficking

Lithuania has been a transshipment point for opiates and other illicit drugs from Russia, Southwest Asia, Latin America, and Western Europe to Western Europe and Scandinavia^[13]

[edit] Anti-terrorism

Lithuania is a signatory to 8 of the 12 International Conventions related to counter- terrorist activities ^[14]

[edit] Civil rights

[edit] Human trafficking

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports that about 1,000 citizens of Lithuania fall victim to trafficking annually. Most are women between the ages of 21 and 30 who are sold into prostitution ^[15]

[edit] Relations by country

Country	Formal Relations Began	Notes
Armenia		Armenia is represented in Lithuania through its embassy in Warsaw (Poland). Lithuania has an embassy in Yerevan. There are around 2,500 people of Armenian descent living in Lithuania. Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign affairs: list of bilateral treaties with Armenia (in Lithuanian only)
Austria		Austria has an embassy in Vilnius. Lithuania has an embassy in Vienna.^[16] Both countries are full members of the European Union. Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign affairs: list of bilateral treaties with Austria (in Lithuanian only)
Azerbaijan	1995-11-27	Azerbaijan recognized the independence of Lithuania on September 10, 1991. Lithuania recognized the independence of Azerbaijan on December 20, 1991. Azerbaijan has an embassy in Vilnius. Lithuania has an embassy in Baku. Both countries are full members of the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Cooperation with Azerbaijan Foreign Minister of Lithuania to pay official visit to Azerbaijan
Belarus	1991-10-24	Belarus has an embassy in Vilnius.^[17] Lithuania has an embassy in Minsk^[18] and a general consulate in Hrodna.^[19] Both countries shares 680 km of common border. Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign affairs: list of bilateral treaties with Poland (in Lithuanian only)
Bulgaria		See Bulgaria–Lithuania relations
Canada		See Canada–Lithuania relations
Croatia		See Croatia–Lithuania relations
Cyprus		See Cyprus–Lithuania relations
Czech Republic		See Czech Republic – Lithuania relations
Denmark		See Denmark–Lithuania relations
Estonia		See Estonia–Lithuania relations
Finland		See Finland–Lithuania relations
France		See France–Lithuania relations
Georgia		See Georgia–Lithuania relations
Germany		See Germany–Lithuania relations
Greece		See Greece–Lithuania relations
Holy See		See Holy See – Lithuania relations
Hungary		See Hungary–Lithuania relations
Iceland	1991-08-26	See Iceland–Lithuania relations Iceland was the first country which recognised Lithuania's Independence from the USSR on January 11, 1991].^[20]
Ireland		See Ireland–Lithuania relations
Israel		See Israel–Lithuania relations
Italy		See Italy–Lithuania relations
Japan		See Japan–Lithuania relations
Kazakhstan		Kazakhstan has an embassy in Vilnius.^[21] Lithuania has an embassy in Astana and an honorary consulate in Almaty.^[22] Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs: list of bilateral treaties with Kazakhstan (in Lithuanian only)
Kosovo	2008-07-16	See Kosovan–Lithuanian relations Lithuania recognized Kosovo on 6 May 2008.^[23] Diplomatic relations commenced on 16 July 2008.^[24]
Latvia	1991-10-05	Latvia has an embassy in Vilnius.^[25] Lithuania has an embassy in Riga.^[26] The two states share 588 kilometres (365 mi) of commone border. Both countries are full members of the European Union.
Malta		Malta is represented in Lithuania through a non resident ambassador based in Valletta (in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and an honorary consulate in Vilnius.^[27] Lithuania is represented in Malta through its embassy in Rome (Italy) and an honorary consulate in Valletta.^[28] Both countries are full members of the European Union. Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign affairs: list of bilateral treaties with Malta (in Lithuanian only)
Pakistan	1992
People's Republic of China		See People's Republic of China-Lithuania relations
Poland		See Lithuania–Poland relations Lithuania has an embassy in Warsaw. Poland has an embassy in Vilnius, a consulate general in Sejny and an honorary consulate in Klaipėda. There are around 250,000 Poles living in Lithuania and around 25,000 ethnic Lithuanians living in Poland. Both countries are full members of the Council of the Baltic Sea States. Both countries share a common border of 103 km.^[29]
Romania	1924-08-26	See Lithuania–Romania relations Romania recognized Lithuania’s independence on August 26, 1991. Diplomatic relations between both countries have been resumed on September 13, 1991. Lithuania has an embassy in Bucharest.^[30] Romania has an embassy in Vilnius.^[31] Both countries are full members of NATO ,the European Union, and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign affairs: list of bilateral treaties with Romania (in Lithuanian only)
Russia		See Lithuania–Russia relations Lithuania has an embassy in Moscow.^[32] Russia has an \|embassy in Vilnius, with consulates in Klaipeda.^[33] Ambassador to Russian Federation is Rimantas Šidlauskas, ambassador to the Republic of Lithuania is Vladimir Chkhikvadze.
Serbia	2000-12-14	See Lithuania–Serbia relations Lithuania is represented in Serbia through its embassy in Budapest (Hungary).^[34] Serbia is represented in Lithuania through its embassy in Warsaw (Poland) and the diplomatic office in Belgrade. Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs: list of bilateral treaties with Serbia (in Lithuanian only) Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs about relations with Lithuania
Slovakia	1993	See Lithuania–Slovakia relations Lithuania is represented in Slovakia through its embassy in Vienna (Austria). Slovakia is represented in Lithuania through its embassy in Riga (Latvia). Both countries are full members of NATO and of the European Union. Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs: list of bilateral treaties with Slovakia (in Lithuanian only)
Ukraine		See Lithuania–Ukraine relations Lithuania has an embassy in Kiev and an honorary consulates in Lviv.^[35] Ukraine has an embassy in Vilnius and 3 honorary consulates (in Klaipėda, Šalčininkai and Visaginas).^[36] There are around 44,000 ethnic Ukrainians living in Lithuania and around 11,000 ethnic Lithuanians living in Ukraine. Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign affairs: list of bilateral treaties with Ukraine (in Lithuanian only)
United Kingdom	1991-10	See Lithuania – United Kingdom relations The UK recognised the restoration of Latvian independence on August 27, 1991. The United Kingdom has an embassy in Vilnius and an honorary consulate in Klaipėda.^[37] Lithuania has an embassy in London and 5 honorary consulates (in Northern Ireland, Northumberland, Scotland, Wales and the West Midlands).^[38] There are around 100,000 Lithuanian people living in the United Kingdom. Both countries are full members of NATO and of the European Union. British Foreign and Commonwealth Office about relations with Lithuania Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign affairs: list of bilateral treaties with Poland (in Lithuanian only)
United States		See Lithuania – United States relations In 1998, the United States signed a "Charter of Partnership" with Lithuania and the other Baltic countries establishing bilateral working groups focusing on improving regional security, defense, and economic issues.