On 17 April political consultations between, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Neris Germanas and State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia Dobran Božič were held in Ljubljana.

On 10 April, the Ambassador of Lithuania Julius Pranevičius presented his letters of credence to the President of Bangladesh Abdul Hamid.

On 9 April, the Ambassador of Lithuania to Switzerland Edvilas Raudonikis presented his letters of credence to the President of the Swiss Confederation Ueli Maurer.

On 10 April, the Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Darius Skusevičius attended the Stratcom Summit in Prague, where he presented Lithuania’s contribution to the strengthening of the European Union’s resilience to hybrid threats and disinformation.

On 9 April, the Vice- Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Albinas Zananavičius participated in the General Affairs Council in Luxembourg. Ministers exchanged views on the multiannual financial framework (MFF) for 2021-2027.

Arrival and doorstep

As NATO ministers gather in Washington, Lithuania’s top diplomat describes a “stress test of Transatlantic unity.”

This week marks the annual NATO ministerial meeting in Washington, when foreign ministers from the Alliance’s 29 members convene to discuss shared security threats. It also marks the 70^th anniversary of NATO itself: a milestone that has been met with both celebration of NATO’s past and trepidation about its future.

One of the foreign ministers in town this week is Lithuania’s Linas Linkevičius, a seasoned diplomat who has long argued for a tougher line on Russia and for prioritizing the fight against disinformation. Charles Davidson, Publisher of The American Interest, and TAI Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Gedmin recently sat down with the Foreign Minister to discuss the state of the NATO alliance at a time of profound uncertainty. This transcript has been edited for clarity.

On 29 March, in response to the joint demarche of the Permanent Representatives of three Baltic States and on the basis of historic documents, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) published the real dates of the start of membership of Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia in its public communication. All three Baltic States joined the ITU in the beginning of 1920ies and will soon mark centenaries of their ITU membership. Lithuania acceded to the ITU on 1 July 1923. 

On 28 March, the Political Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Asta Skaisgirytė met with NATO’s Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy Tacan Ildem, who congratulated Lithuania on the 15th anniversary of its NATO membership. He also was glad that Lithuania's society stood out for its extremely high support for the Alliance’s policy.

On 27 March, the Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Darius Skusevičius opened the new Honorary Consulate of Lithuania in Tampere, Finland. From now on, five Honorary Consuls of Lithuania operate in Finland.