Foreign relations of Lithuania
The EU activities affect different spheres of politics, from consumer rights to national defence matters.
Membership in the Union has strengthened the domestic economy, giving it access to the wide pan-European market.
The accession to the Schengen space in 2007 has opened up possibilities for the free movement of both citizens and goods across 25 European states.
Lithuania's citizens enjoy equal social guarantees while working, travelling, or studying at the Community's countries.
[3] On 29 March 2004, Lithuania became a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation[4] It is a defensive union based on political and military cooperation of sovereign states.
The main goal of NB6 cooperation is to discuss and agree on positions before presenting them in the Council of the European Union and the meetings of the EU Foreign Affairs Ministers.
The members of CBSS are Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Russia, Sweden and European Commission.
Lithuania, together with other two Baltic countries, is also a member of Nordic Investment Bank (NIB) and cooperates in NORDPLUS programme committed to education.
[10] Lithuania and Mexico initially established diplomatic relations on 31 May 1938 and signed a Treaty of Friendship in Washington, D.C., United States.
On 6 September 1991, Japan recognized the independence of the Republic of Lithuania from the Soviet Union and on 10 October, Diplomatic relations were restored.
[30] In 1995, the presidents of the two countries, Algirdas Brazauskas and Alexander Lukashenko signed an agreement on Good Neighbourhood and Cooperation.
Recently, the nuclear power plant under construction in Astravyets, Belarus, which is considered by Lithuania unsafe, has been escalating tensions.
On top of that, Belarus's growing energy, economic, and military dependence on Russia is forcing Lithuania to exercise caution in measuring the political decisions of the country.
On 28 February 1991, the Danish and the Lithuanian foreign ministers inked a mutual protocol, undertaking to reconstruct diplomatic relations whenever possible.
On the initiative of Uffe Ellemann-Jensen, then the Danish foreign minister, an active policy on the Baltics was established and followed until our country joined NATO and the EU.
Finland is a key partner and neighbour to Lithuania, with the countries pursuing active cooperation in the fields of economy, energy, regional, information security, to name a few.
[38] The first contacts between Lithuania and France were established back in the fall of 1918, and the 1919 Versailles peace conference featured a Lithuanian delegation under Oskaras Milašius.
During the times of Soviet occupation, Lithuania did not have an official mission to France, even though individual persons were allowed to act in an emissary capacity.
See Germany–Lithuania relations Germany was the first state to de jure recognise Lithuania's statehood on 23 March 1918.
Even though Lithuania had been trying to build close ties with this country before the Second World War, on 23 March 1939 Germany made an ultimatum and took over the region of Klaipėda.
With the Second World War raging on, in summer 1941, Germany pushed the invading Soviet regime out of Lithuania and occupied the country until early 1945.
Throughout the entire period of independence of the two states between the two world wars, efforts were being made to strengthen cross-border and international cooperation by establishing new unions and partnerships.
After the two countries restored their statehood, their diplomatic relations were resumed on 5 October 1991, when an agreement on the reconstruction of the state border, promotion and protection of investments, air service, and other matters, was made.
[48] Today, Latvia ranks second on the list of Lithuania's export partners, and fourth in terms of imports.
[56] Lithuania and Poland have a long history of mutual relations: from a common state to the period when all diplomatic ties were cut.
The agreement regulates the underlying principles that support the cooperation between the countries, waiving any territorial claims, and defines the rights of ethnic minorities.
Bilateral cooperation became very close and intensive with the election of Valdas Adamkus and Aleksander Kwaśniewski presidents of the two countries.
With the changes that occurred in the geopolitical situation of the region in 2016 and energy and transportation infrastructural projects underway, the relationship between Lithuania and Poland is recovering, Poland is actively involved in ensuring the security of the Baltic region, its troops are continuously participating in NATO military training exercises in Lithuania.
[63] Lithuania supports the stance of the EU and other international organisations towards this state and approves the policy of sanctions.
