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Economy
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Poland
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Religion
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EducationOFFICIAL NAME:
Republic
of Lithuania
Lithuania Geography
Area: 65,200 sq. km. (26,080 sq. mi.);
slightly larger than West Virginia.
Cities (2006): Capital--Vilnius
(pop. 553,553); other cities--Kaunas (360,637); Klaipeda (187,316);
Siauliai (129,037).
Terrain: Lithuania's fertile, central
lowland plains are separated by hilly uplands. A total of 758 rivers, many
navigable, and 2,833 lakes cover the landscape. The coastline is 90 km.
(56 mi.) long. Land use--44.2% arable land, 0.91% cultivated, 53.87%
other.
Climate: With four distinct seasons,
the climate is humid continental, with a moderating maritime influence
from the Baltic Sea. January temperatures average -5ºC (23ºF);
July, 17ºC (63ºF). The level of precipitation varies considerably
from region to region: in the far west, average annual precipitation is
28-33 in., while in the central plain it is about 24 in.
People
Lithuania People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Lithuanian(s).
Population (2006): 3,403,284.
Annual growth rate (2006): -0.3%.
Birth
rate--8.75/1,000. Death rate--10.98/1,000.
Population density (mid-2005): 52.1
per sq. km.
Ethnic groups (2001): Lithuanians
83.4%, Poles 6.7%, Russians 6.3%.
Religions (2001): Roman Catholic (79%),
Russian Orthodox (4.1%), Protestant (including Lutheran and Evangelical
Christian Baptist) (1.9%).
Languages (2001): Lithuanian (official
language) (82%), Russian (8%), and Polish (5.6%).
Education: Years compulsory--10
(until the age of 16). Literacy--99.6%.
Health (2006): Infant mortality
rate--6.78/1,000. Life expectancy--69.2 yrs. male, 79.49 yrs.
female.
Work force (2005 est.): 1.61 million:
services 56%; industry 28.2%; agriculture 15.8%.
Government
Lithuania Government
Type: Parliamentary democracy.
Constitution: On October 25, 1992,
Lithuanians ratified a new constitution, which was officially signed on
November 6 that year.
Branches: Executive--President
(chief of state), popularly elected every 5 years; Prime Minister (head
of government); Legislative--Seimas (141-member Parliament). Judicial--Constitutional
Court, Supreme Court, and Highest Administrative Court.
Administrative regions: 10 counties
and 60 municipalities.
Principal political parties/coalitions
(June 2006): Labor Party--31 seats, Conservative Party--26 seats, Social
Democratic Party--23 seats, Civil Democracy Group--11 seats, Liberal Movement
Group--11 seats, Peasant and People's Political Group--10 seats, Liberal
Democratic Party--9 seats, New Union--10 seats, Liberal and Center Union--8
seats, Independent--2 seats.
Suffrage: universal adult (18 years
of age).
General government budget (2006):
$6.19 billion.
Economy
Lithuania Economy
GDP (2006): $30.2 billion.
Annual growth rate (2006): 7.4%.
Annual inflation rate (2006): 3.8%.
Unemployment rate (2006 est.): 5.7%.
Per capita income (2006): $8,899.
Natural resources: Limestone, clay,
sand, gravel, iron ore, and granite.
Major sectors of the economy (Q1-Q3,
2006): Manufacturing 22.8%, wholesale and retail trade 16.9%, transport
and communications 12.8%, real estate, renting and business activities
10%.
Trade: Exports--$11.82 billion
(2005): mineral products 27.5%, machinery and mechanical appliances 12.4%,
textiles and textile articles 9.2%, wood and paper products 4.6%. Major
export partners--Russia 10.4%, Latvia 10.1%, Germany 9.4%, France 7%.
Imports--$15.48
billion (2005): mineral products 25.6%, machinery and equipment 17.9%,
transportation equipment 11.7%, chemicals 7.8%, base metals 7%, textiles
and clothing 5.6%. Major import partners--Russia 27.8%, Germany
15.2%, Poland 8.3%, the Netherlands 3.9%.
GEOGRAPHY
The largest and most populous of the
Baltic states, Lithuania is situated on the eastern shore of the Baltic
Sea, in northeastern Europe. It is bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus
to the southeast, Poland to the southwest, and Kaliningrad, a territory
of Russia, to the west. It has 60 miles of sandy coastline, of which only
24 miles face the open Baltic Sea. Lithuania's major warm-water port of
Klaipeda lies at the narrow mouth of Kursiu Gulf, a shallow lagoon extending
south to Kaliningrad. The Nemunas River and some of its tributaries are
used for internal shipping. Situated between the 54th and 56th latitudes
and the 20th and 27th longitudes, Lithuania is glacially flat, except for
the hills (of no more than 300 meters) in the western and eastern highlands.
The terrain is marked by numerous small lakes and swamps, and a mixed forest
zone covers 30% of the country. According to some geographers, Lithuania's
capital, Vilnius, lies at the geographical center of Europe.
People
Lithuania PEOPLE
Lithuanians are neither Slavic nor
Germanic, although the union with Poland and the colonization by Germans
and Russians have influenced the culture and religious beliefs of Lithuania.
This highly literate society places strong emphasis upon education, which
is free and compulsory until age 16. Most Lithuanians and ethnic Poles
belong to the Roman Catholic Church; the Russian Orthodox Church is the
largest non-Catholic denomination.
In spite of several border changes, Soviet deportations, a massacre of its Jewish population, and German and Polish repatriations, the population of Lithuania has maintained a fairly stable percentage of ethnic Lithuanians (from 79.3% in 1959 to 83.5% in 2002). Lithuania's citizenship law and constitution meet international and Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) standards, guaranteeing universal human and civil rights.
The Lithuanian language still retains the original sound system and morphological peculiarities of the prototypal Indo-European tongue and, therefore, is fascinating for linguistic study. Between 400 and 600 AD, the Lithuanian and Latvian languages split from the Eastern Baltic (Prussian) language group, which subsequently became extinct. The first known written Lithuanian text dates from a hymnal translation in 1545. Written with the Latin alphabet, Lithuanian has been the official language of Lithuania since 1989. While Lithuania was a member of the U.S.S.R., Russian was the official language, so many Lithuanians speak Russian as a second language. The resident Slavic populace generally speaks Russian or Polish as a first language.
History
Lithuania HISTORY
Between the 7th and 2nd centuries
BC, Baltic tribes established themselves on what is presently known as
Lithuanian territory. These tribes were made up of a distinct Indo-European
ethnic group whose descendents are the present-day Lithuanian and Latvian
nations. The name of Lithuania, however, did not appear in European records
until 1009 AD, when it was mentioned in the German manuscript Annals
of Quedlinburg. During the period of 1236-1263, Duke Mindaugas
united the various Baltic tribes and established the state of Lithuania,
which was better able to resist the eastward expansion of the Teutonic
Knights. In 1253, Mindaugas embraced Christianity for political reasons
and accepted the crown from the Pope of Rome, becoming the first and only
king in Lithuanian history.
After the assassination of Mindaugas and the ensuing civil war, Grand Duke Gediminas took control of Lithuania. He reigned from 1316 to 1341, during which the long-term expansion of Lithuania into the lands of the eastern Slavs began. He founded the modern capital city of Vilnius and started the Gediminas dynasty, which ruled Lithuania until 1572.
By the end of the 14th century, Lithuania was the largest country in Europe, stretching from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea. In 1386, Grand Duke Jogaila of Lithuania was crowned the King of Poland, which intensified Lithuania's economic and cultural development and oriented it toward the West. It was at this time that the people of Lithuania embraced Christianity.
In 1401, the formal union between Poland and Lithuania was dissolved. While Jogaila remained the King of Poland, his cousin Grand Duke Vytautas became the ruler of Lithuania. In 1410, the armies of Poland and Lithuania together defeated the Teutonic Order in the Battle of Grunewald, the biggest battle of medieval Europe.
The 16th century witnessed a number of wars against the growing Russian state over the Slavic lands ruled by Lithuania. Needing an ally in those wars, Lithuania again united with Poland through The Union of Lublin in 1569. As a member of this Commonwealth, Lithuania retained its sovereignty and its institutions, including a separate army and currency. In 1795, the joint sate was dissolved by the third Partition of the Commonwealth, which forfeited its lands to Russia, Prussia, and Austria. Over 90% of Lithuania was incorporated into the Russian Empire and the remainder into Prussia. Attempts to restore independence in the uprisings of 1794, 1830-31, and 1863 were suppressed and followed by a tightened police regime and increasing Russification, including the 1864 ban on printing Lithuanian books in traditional Latin characters.
A market economy slowly developed with the abolition of serfdom in 1861. Lithuanian farmers grew stronger, and an increase in the number of intellectuals of peasant origin led to the growth of a Lithuanian national movement. In German-ruled East Prussia, also called Lithuania Minor, or Kaliningrad, Lithuanian publications were printed in large numbers and then smuggled into Russian-ruled Lithuania. The ban on the Lithuanian press was lifted in 1904.
During World War I, the German Army occupied Lithuania, and the occupation administration allowed a Lithuanian conference to convene in Vilnius in September 1917. The conference adopted a resolution demanding the restoration of an independent Lithuanian state and elected the Lithuanian Council. On February 16, 1918, the council declared Lithuania's independence. The Seimas (Parliament) of Lithuania adopted a constitution on August 1, 1922 and declared Lithuania a parliamentary republic.
The interwar period of independence gave birth to the development of Lithuanian press, literature, music, arts, and theater as well as a comprehensive system of education with Lithuanian as the language of instruction. However, territorial disputes with Poland (over the Vilnius region and the Suvalkai region) and with Germany (over the Klaip?da region) preoccupied the foreign policy of the new state. During the interwar period, the constitutional capital was Vilnius, although the city itself was annexed by Poland from 1920 to 1939. During this period the Lithuanian Government was relocated to Kaunas, which officially held the status of temporary capital.
The German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact of 1939 first pulled Lithuania into the German sphere of influence and then brought it under Soviet domination. Soviet pressure and a complicated international situation forced Lithuania to sign an agreement with the U.S.S.R. on October 10, 1939. By means of this agreement, Lithuania was given back the city of Vilnius and the part of the Vilnius region seized by the Red Army during the Soviet-Polish war; in return, some 20,000 Soviet soldiers were deployed in Lithuania. On August 3, 1940, Lithuania was proclaimed a Soviet Socialist Republic. Totalitarian rule was established, Sovietization of the economy and culture began, and Lithuanian state employees and public figures were arrested and exiled to Russia. During the mass deportation campaign of June 14-18, 1941, about 12,600 people were deported to Siberia without investigation or trial, 3,600 people were imprisoned, and more than 1,000 were killed.
Between 1940 and 1954, under the Nazi and then Soviet occupations, Lithuania lost over 780,000 residents. In World War II, German occupiers sent Lithuanians to forced labor camps in Germany. Almost 200,000, or 91%, of Lithuanian Jews were killed, one of the worst death rates of the Holocaust. After the retreat of the Wehrmacht in 1944, Lithuania was re-occupied by the Soviet Union, and an estimated 120,000 to 300,000 Lithuanians were either killed or deported to Siberia and other remote parts of the Soviet Union. Conversely, Soviet authorities encouraged the immigration to Lithuania of other Soviet workers, especially Russians, as a way of integrating Lithuania into the Soviet Union.
With the advent of perestroika and glasnost, Gorbachev's programs of social and political reforms in the late 1980s, communist rule eroded. Lithuania, led by S?j?dis, an anti-communist and anti-Soviet independence movement, proclaimed its renewed independence on March 11, 1990 -- the first Soviet republic to do so. The Lithuanian Supreme Soviet formed a new Cabinet of Ministers and adopted the Provisional Fundamental Law of the State with a number of by-laws. In response, on the night of January 13, 1991, the Red Army attacked the Vilnius TV Tower, killing 14 civilians and injuring 700. Soviet forces, however, were unsuccessful in suppressing Lithuania's secession.
On February 4, 1991, Iceland became the first country to recognize Lithuanian independence. Sweden was the first to open an embassy in the country. The United States never recognized the Soviet claim to Lithuania and views the present Lithuanian Government as the legal continuation of the interwar republic. Lithuania joined the United Nations on September 17, 1991.
Despite Lithuania's achievement of complete independence, sizable numbers of Russian forces remained on its territory. Withdrawal of those forces was one of Lithuania's top foreign policy priorities. On August 31, 1993, Lithuania and Russia signed an agreement whereby the last Red Army troops left the country.
On May 31, 2001, Lithuania became the 141st member of the World Trade Organization. Desiring closer ties with the West, Lithuania became the first of the Baltic states to apply for membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and on March 29, 2004, it joined the Alliance. On May 1 of the same year, Lithuania also joined the European Union.
Lithuania has been a staunch U.S. ally in the Global War on Terror, contributing to military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. In 2005, Lithuania assumed the challenge of leading a Provincial Reconstruction Team as part of NATO's mission in Afghanistan. It has also deployed troops under Polish command to Iraq. In addition, Lithuania has participated in the peacekeeping operations in Bosnia and Kosovo.
Similarly, Lithuania is a strong supporter of U.S. objectives in the area of democracy promotion. Making this a high priority for its foreign policy, Lithuania has provided development assistance and advice to Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, and the Caucasus. Lithuania also actively supports democratization efforts in Belarus.
The Lithuanian economy has shown strong growth in recent years, as Lithuania has actively pursued economic reforms. In 2005, Lithuania's GDP increased by 7.6%, and in 2006, by 7.4%. Private consumption has been the principal driver of recent economic growth. Lithuania continues to harmonize its regulatory environment with European Union requirements.
Government
- 
Political
Lithuania GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL
CONDITIONS
Lithuania is a multi-party, parliamentary
democracy. The president, who is elected directly for 5 years, is head
of state and commander in chief overseeing foreign and security policy.
The president nominates the prime minister and his cabinet and a number
of other top civil servants. The Seimas, a unicameral parliament, has 141
members that are elected for a 4-year term. About half of the members are
elected in single constituencies (71), and the other half (70) are elected
in a nationwide vote by party lists. A party must receive at least 5% of
the national vote to be represented in the Seimas.
For the first nine years of its post-Soviet independence, voters in Lithuania shifted from right to left and back again, swinging between the Conservatives, led by Vytautas Landsbergis (now headed by Andrius Kubilius), and the Labor (former Communist) Party, led by former President Algirdas Brazauskas. This pattern was broken in the October 2000 elections, when the Liberal Union and New Union parties won the most votes and were able to form a centrist ruling coalition with minor partners. President Valdas Adamkus played a key role in bringing the new centrist parties together. The leader of the center-left New Union Party (also known as the Social Liberal Party), Arturas Paulauskas, became the Chairman of the Seimas, and the leader of the Liberal Union Party, Rolandas Paksas, became Prime Minister. The new coalition was fragile from the outset, as the Liberal Union was pro-business and right of center, while the New Union had a populist and leftist orientation. The government collapsed within 7 months and, in July 2001, the center-left New Union Party forged an alliance with the left-wing Social Democratic Party and formed a new cabinet under former President Algirdas Brazauskas.
The new government tightened budgetary discipline, supported market reforms, and passed the legislation required to ensure entry into the European Union. Several years of solid economic growth helped to consolidate the government's popularity, despite discontent within two of its core constituencies--unskilled urban workers and farmers--who had expected more generous funding of social and agricultural programs. The government remained firmly in control, and by mid-2004 it was the longest serving administration since the recovery of independence.
In an unexpected political development in January 2003, Rolandas Paksas defeated the incumbent Valdas Adamkus in the second round of the presidential election to become Lithuania's third President since 1992. Paksas' tenure as president was short-lived. In December 2003, an ad hoc parliamentary commission found that President Paksas' vulnerability to influence constituted a threat to national security. On April 7, 2004, the Seimas removed President Paksas from office. Valdas Adamkus won the second round of presidential elections in June 2004 and was sworn in as president on July 12. Following parliamentary elections in October 2004, a new government led by Prime Minister Algirdas Brazauskas took office on December 14. On April 11, 2006, Parliamentary Speaker Paulauskas was removed from his position following a vote of no-confidence. That same day, Paulauskas announced the withdrawal of his New Union party from the ruling coalition. On May 31, 2006 the government collapsed, following the withdrawal of the Labor Party. A new coalition government headed by Prime Minister Gediminas Kirkilas took office on July 18, 2006.
The frequent formation of new political parties and their strong performance in general elections may convey the impression of great volatility, if not instability, in Lithuanian politics. However, this impression is misleading. About 20%-25% of the electorate, mostly the elderly, who have felt marginalized by the transition process, regularly vote against the party in power for its failure to ease their burdens. In the elections of 1992 and 1996, the two major parties were voted in and out, consecutively. In 2000 and 2004, newly created populist parties won the most votes. However, these parties had no clear program, were undisciplined, and splintered into small factions or aligned themselves with the Social Democratic Party. Despite its leftist ideology, by the mid-2000s the Social Democratic Party had become a centrist party and a bulwark of continuity. The frequent changes in government, however, did not lead to major shifts in policy. Economic policy, for example, has been based on fulfilling Lithuania's agreements with the International Monetary Fund and satisfying the criteria for entry into the European Union so as to ensure that Lithuania's basic taxation structure, welfare and labor policies, and government regulation were aligned with the requirements for creating a market economy. When major change has occurred, for example in the social security system, it has had the support of all the major political parties.
Principal Government Officials
President--Valdas Adamkus
Prime Minister--Gediminas Kirkilas,
Social Democratic Party
Minister of Foreign Affairs--Petras
Vaitiekunas, Independent
Minister of Defense--Juozas Olekas,
Social Democratic Party
Minister of Interior--Raimondas Sukys,
Liberal and Center Union
Minister of Justice--Petras Baguksa,
Civil Democracy
Minister of Finance--Zigmantas Balcytis,
Social Democratic Party
Minister of Transport and Communications--Algirdas
Butkevicius, Social Democratic Party
Minister of Economy--Vytas Navickas,
Farmers' Party
Minister of Agriculture--Kazimira
Prunskiene, Farmers' Party
Minister of Education and Science--Roma
Zakaitiene, Social Democratic Party
Minister of Health--Rimvydas Turcinskas,
Civil Democracy
Minister of Social Security and Labor--Vilija
Blinkeviciute, Social Democratic Party
Minister of Culture--Jonas Jucas,
Liberal and Center Union
Minister of Environment--Arunas Kundrotas,
Social Democratic Party
Seimas Chairman--Viktoras Muntianas
Lithuania maintains an embassy in the United States, temporarily located at 4590 MacArthur Blvd, Suite 200, Washington, DC, 20007, tel: (202) 234-5860.
Economy
Lithuania ECONOMY
In the second half of the 20th century,
the Lithuanian economy underwent fundamental transformations. The Soviet
occupation of 1940 brought Lithuania intensive industrialization and economic
integration into the U.S.S.R., although the level of technology and state
concern for environmental, health, and labor issues lagged far behind Western
standards. Urbanization increased from 39% in 1959 to 68% in 1989. From
1949 to 1952 the Soviets abolished private ownership in agriculture, establishing
collective and state farms. Production declined and did not reach pre-war
levels until the early 1960s. The intensification of agricultural production
through intense chemical use and mechanization eventually doubled production
but created additional ecological problems.
The disadvantages of a centrally planned economy became evident after the collapse of the USSR in 1991, when Lithuania began its transition to a market economy. Owing to the availability of inexpensive natural resources, the industrial sector had become excessively energy intensive, inefficient in its utilization of resources, and incapable of manufacturing internationally competitive products. More than 90% of Lithuania's trade was with the rest of the USSR, which supplied Lithuanian industry with raw materials for production and a market for its outputs. The need to sever these trading links and to reduce the inefficient industrial sector led to serious economic difficulties.
The process of privatization and the development of new companies slowly moved Lithuania from a command economy toward a free market. By 1998, the economy had survived the early years of uncertainty and several setbacks, including a banking crisis, and seemed poised for solid growth. However, the collapse of the Russian ruble in August 1998 shocked the economy into negative growth and forced the reorientation of trade from Russia toward the West. In 1997, exports to former Soviet states were 45% of total Lithuanian exports. In 2005, exports to the East (the Commonwealth of Independent States--CIS) were only 21% of the total, while exports to the EU-25 were 63%, and to the United States, 4.6%. In the first three quarters of 2006, Lithuania accumulated foreign direct investments (FDI) of $9.3 billion, with U.S. investments amounting to $257.8 million, or 2.8% of FDI. The account deficit in the first three quarters of 2006 stood at 11.2% of GDP.
Lithuania has privatized nearly all formerly state-owned enterprises. More than 70% of the economy's output is generated by the private sector. The share of employees in the private sector exceeds 72%. The Government of Lithuania completed banking sector privatization in 2001, with 89% of this sector controlled by foreign--mainly Scandinavian--capital. The government has also completed privatization of the national gas and power companies "Lietuvos Dujos" (Lithuanian Gas) and "Vakaru skirstomieji tinklai" (Western electricity distributor). The national telecommunications company had a monopoly on the market until the end of 2002, but now several cell phone companies provide competition. "Rytu skirtomieji tinklai" (Eastern electricity distributor), "Lietuvos Energija" (Lithuanian Energy), and "Lithuanian Railways" remain state-owned.
The transportation infrastructure inherited from the Soviet period is adequate and has been generally well maintained since independence. Lithuania has one ice-free seaport with ferry services to German, Swedish, and Danish ports. There are operating commercial airports with scheduled international services at Vilnius, Kaunas, and Klaipeda. The road system is good. Border facilities at checkpoints with Poland have been significantly improved, using EU funds. Telecommunications have improved greatly since independence as a result of heavy investment.
The last couple of years have been good for the Lithuanian economy. In 2005, Lithuania's GDP increased 7.5%, above expectations, and in 2006 Lithuania's GDP grew by 7.4%. This economic growth has been largely driven by private consumption. The contribution of domestic market-oriented sectors has also increased. Growth in 2006 was strongest in construction, retail and wholesale trade, and processing and light industries. In 2006, inflation reached 3.8%, and the government's budget deficit stood at approximately 0.5 % of GDP. Lithuania is working on conforming its regulations to European Union requirements. Greater development is needed in public policy and further progress in structural and agricultural reforms. Lithuania pegged its national currency--the litas--to the euro on February 2, 2002 at the rate of LTL 3.4528 to EUR 1.
Lithuanian income levels lag behind those of older EU members. Lower wages and high income taxes may have been factors that contributed to the trend of emigration to the wealthiest EU countries after Lithuania joined the European Union in 2004. In 2006, the flat income tax rate was reduced to 27%, and a further reduction to 24% is expected in 2007. Moreover, in 2006, the minimum wage increased to $225 per month; the average wage now stands at $501 per month. Income tax reduction and a 14% wage growth is starting to result in the return of some emigrants; in early 2006 emigration was 30% lower than in 2005.
The initial euro adoption target date of January 1, 2007 was postponed due to the high inflation rate of 2006. Achieving the Maastricht inflation criterion necessary to adopt the euro in 2010 will require significant fiscal tightening in Lithuania. In the short-term, increasing energy prices are likely to raise the headline inflation rate above 4% in 2007. While this influence could moderate in 2008, temporary spikes from the necessary excise tax increases and longer-term convergence forces will probably keep inflation above the Maastricht reference value. Rapid credit growth will call for continued proactive supervision and implementation of prudential measures to ensure financial stability.
Military
Lithuania DEFENSE
Lithuania, a relatively new member
of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), fully endorses the concept
of "collective defense." National policy recognizes the primacy of NATO
as the guarantor of security in Europe. The goal of Lithuania's defense
policy is to create a military that can contribute to international missions
through the NATO alliance, the UN, and other groups, and to continue to
integrate Lithuania into Western defense structures. The Defense Ministry
is responsible for combat forces, search and rescue operations, and intelligence.
The government has committed to but not yet reached the goal of dedicating
2% of GDP to defense spending.
Lithuania maintains 8,500 active duty troops and 8,000 reserve troops. The core of the Lithuanian force structure is the Iron Wolf Rapid Reaction Brigade, which consists of five battalions and appropriate support elements. The Lithuanian Air Force operates 17 fixed wing aircraft and nine helicopters. The Home Guard is organized into five districts.
The Border Police, with 5,400 guards, fall under the jurisdiction of the Interior Ministry; they are responsible for border protection, passport and customs duties, and the interdiction of smuggling and trafficking activities.
Lithuania cooperates with Estonia and Latvia in the joint infantry battalion BALTBAT and naval squadron BALTRON, as well as with Poland in the LITPOLBAT, all of which are available for peacekeeping operations. Lithuania has deployed troops to Iraq under Polish command, with a mandate through the end of 2007. Since the summer of 2005, Lithuania has also been part of the NATO International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan, leading a Provincial Reconstruction Team in Ghor province.
Foreign
Lithuania FOREIGN RELATIONS
Lithuania became a member of the United
Nations (UN) on September 18, 1991 and is a signatory to a number of UN
organizations and other international agreements. It is also a member of
the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the North Atlantic
Coordinating Council, and the Council of Europe. Lithuania gained membership
in the World Trade Organization on May 31, 2001. In November 2002, Lithuania
was invited to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and officially
became a member on March 29, 2004. On May 1 of that same year, Lithuania
joined the European Union.
Lithuania maintains foreign diplomatic missions in 60 countries on six continents, a consular post in one country that is not represented by an embassy, consular posts led by Honorary Consuls in 32 countries that are not represented by an embassy, and a special mission in one country without other diplomatic representation.
Lithuania's liberal "zero-option" citizenship law has substantially erased tensions with its neighbors. Its suspension of two strongly ethnic Polish district councils on charges of blocking reform or disloyalty during the August 1991 coup 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 strongly urging the Government of Belarus to adopt much-needed democratic and economic reforms. President Adamkus was instrumental in brokering a peaceful resolution to the electoral challenges in Ukraine in 2004, and Lithuania plays an important leadership role in promoting democracy throughout the region.
US
Lithuania U.S.-LITHUANIAN RELATIONS
The United States established diplomatic
relations with Lithuania on July 28, 1922. The Soviet invasion forced the
closure of the Legation to Lithuania on September 5, 1940, but Lithuanian
representation in the United States continued uninterrupted. The United
States never recognized the forcible incorporation of Lithuania into the
U.S.S.R. and views the present Government of Lithuania as a legal continuation
of the interwar republic. Lithuania has enjoyed most-favored-nation treatment
with the United States since December 1991. Since 1992, the United States
has committed more than $100 million in Lithuania to economic and political
transformation and to humanitarian needs. The United States and Lithuania
signed an agreement on bilateral trade and intellectual property protection
in 1994 and a bilateral investment treaty in 1997. 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.
Principal U.S. Officials
Ambassador--John Cloud
Deputy Chief of Mission--Thomas Kelly
Political and Economic Section Chief--Rebecca
Dunham
Press and Cultural Attaché--Carlos
Aranaga
Defense Attaché--LTC Joseph
King (USA)
Defense Cooperation Officer--LTC R.
Darr Reimers
Management Officer--Cheryl Johnson
Consular Officer--James Fellows
The U.S. Embassy in Lithuania is located at Akmenu 6, 2600 Vilnius [tel/fax: (370) 5-2665500]. The Embassy website is http://vilnius.usembassy.gov/
