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Israel–Lithuania relations

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Israel–Lithuania relations are foreign relations between Israel and Lithuania. Israel recognized Lithuania's independence in 1991. Both countries established diplomatic relations in 1992. Israel is represented in Lithuania through its embassy in Vilnius which was opened in 2015.[1][2] Lithuania has an embassy in Tel Aviv.

Israel-Lithuania relations
Map indicating locations of Israel and Lithuania

Israel
Lithuania

There are 3,600 Jews living in Lithuania. Both countries are full members of the Union for the Mediterranean.

Before the Holocaust, Lithuania was home for 160,000 Jews which were 7% of the population.[3] Some Lithuanians honored the fighters who fought the Soviet Union ignoring the fact that many of them are Nazi collaborators. The Lithuanian government and society are shifting from the historical past as Lithuania built good relationship with Israel as Lithuania acknowledge the Israeli security needs, the rise of bilateral relations in the filed of economy, tourism, culture, and more. Antisemitic movements as BDS are minimal in Lithuania,[4] as the country combat antisemitism and brings the Jewish culture to be more presence.[5][6][7]

In 2015 Benjamin Netanyahu was the first Israeli prime minister to visit Lithuania.

In 2019 the prime minister of Lithuania Saulius Skvernelis considered to move the embassy to Jerusalem.[8]

In 2022 Israel gifted the capital city Vilnius a paint wall to celebrate 30 years of diplomatic relations.[9]

After the massacre of 7 October made by Hamas and other Palestinians, as around 1,200 murdered the Lithuanian government and society showed full support to Israel and the Jewish people in Lithuania. The Lithuanian parliament condemned the Hamas attacks in Israel with 108 votes.[10] The Lithuanian society demonstrated their support to Israel many times including ceremonies and demonstrations.[11][12] The Lithuanian Air Force was sent to Israel multipole times to evacuate Lithuanian citizens.[13]

Visits

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Visits of officials[14][15][16]
Year Visit Note
1994 The Lithuanian prime minister Adolfas Šleževičius visits Israel The first Lithuanian Prime Minister to visit Israel
1995 The Lithuanian President Algirdas Mykolas Brazauskas visits Israel The first Lithuanian President to visit Israel
2005 The Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus visits Israel
2008 The Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Petras Vaitiekūnas visits Israel
2010 The Lithuanian Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius visits Israel
2012 The Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Audronius Ažubalis visits Israel
2013 The Israeli President Shimon Peres visits Lithuania The first Israeli President to visit Lithuania
2014 The Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Avigdor Liberman visits Lithuania
2015 Lithuanian Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius visits Israel
2015 Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė visits Israel
2017 Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Linas Linkevičius visits Israel
2018 The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits Lithuania The first Israeli Prime Minister to visit Lithuania
2018 Lithuanian Speaker of the Seimas Viktoras Pranckietis visits Israel
2019 Lithuanian Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis visits Israel
2020 Lithuanian Speaker of the Seimas Viktoras Pranckietis visits Israel
2022 Lithuanian Speaker of the Seimas Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen visits Israel
2023 Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Gabrielius Landsbergis visits Israel
2023 Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė visits Israel
TBA The Israeli President Isaac Herzog visits Lithuania Postponed[17]

Trade

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Israel and Lithuania trade is also influenced by the EU - Israel Free Trade Agreement from 1995.[18][19]

Israel - Lithuania trade in thousands USD-$ [20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27]
  Israel imports

  Lithuania exports

  Lithuania imports

  Israel exports

Total trade value
2023 126.9 56.4 183.3
2022 109 38.2 147.2
2021 102.3 37.1 139.4
2020 81.8 39.7 121.5
2019 68.9 36.3 105.2
2018 61.1 38.3 99.4
2017 44.6 39.3 83.9
2016 38.5 32.1 70.6
2015 32.9 31.6 64.5
2014 23.4 51.7 75.1
2013 26.9 43.5 70.4
2012 35.1 46.1 81.2
2011 33.3 38.9 72.2
2010 22.1 30.7 52.8
2009 13.7 19.8 33.5
2008 24.5 42.4 66.9
2007 21.8 26.2 48
2006 15.1 19 34.1
2005 9.6 14.1 23.7
2004 3.1 9 12.1
2003 3.8 4.5 8.3
2002 3.2 5 8.2

Tourism

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Since 2001 Israel and Lithuania abolished the need for visa to travel.[28]

Lithuania puts efforts to market the tourism for the Israeli visitors as the number of tourists from Israel increase.[29] After the massacre of 7 October in 2023, Lithuania was shown by many Israeli media outlets as friendly, non-antisemitic, safe, green, interesting, and great cool escae from the summer.[30][31][32]

Tourism from Lithuania in Israel and tourists from Israel in Lithuania[33][34][35][36]
2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017
Tourists form   Lithuania

Arriving to   Israel

12,400 6,900 800 7,900 23,300 19,200 17,900
Tourists form   Israel

Arriving to   Lithuania

27,790 24,895 6,848 2,847 30,205 26,023 20,400

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Israel to open embassy in Lithuania". The Times of Israel. 11 September 2014. Archived from the original on 11 September 2014. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
  2. ^ https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/israel-opens-its-first-embassy-in-lithuania-pre-war-home-to-250000-jews-393875
  3. ^ https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/lithuania
  4. ^ https://besacenter.org/lithuania-antisemitism-israel/
  5. ^ https://www.timesofisrael.com/lithuania-mints-first-ever-eu-coin-with-hebrew-letters-honoring-vilnius-scholar/
  6. ^ https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/lithuania-proposes-expanding-compensation-for-jewish-property-seized-in-wwii/
  7. ^ https://www.timesofisrael.com/lithuanian-church-removes-jewish-headstones-used-as-stairs/
  8. ^ https://www.hidabroot.org/article/1122993
  9. ^ https://www.israelhayom.co.il/news/world-news/europe/article/13396902
  10. ^ https://www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/2096644/lithuania-s-parliament-condemns-hamas-attacks-in-israel
  11. ^ https://www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/2382161/where-does-lithuania-s-unwavering-support-for-israel-come-from
  12. ^ https://13tv.co.il/item/mood/vacation-in-israel/tourism-news/d9m2d-903770478/
  13. ^ https://www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/2099617/lithuania-s-military-plane-to-fly-third-israel-evacuation-mission
  14. ^ https://new.embassies.gov.il/lithuania/en/the-embassy/bilateral-relations
  15. ^ https://www.urm.lt/en/news/928/israeli-foreign-minister-avigdor-liberman-to-visit-lithuania:31788
  16. ^ https://www.newz.lt/article/20234/2014-09-08/Israeli+foreign+minister+to+visit+Lithuania
  17. ^ https://www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/2351838/israeli-president-s-visit-to-lithuania-postponed-amidst-middle-east-tensions
  18. ^ https://www.gov.il/BlobFolder/policy/eu-isr-fta/he/sahar-hutz_agreements_euro-fta-agri-2010-en.pdf
  19. ^ https://www.gov.il/BlobFolder/policy/eu-isr-fta/he/sahar-hutz_agreements_euro-fta-agreement-en.pdf
  20. ^ "סחר החוץ לפי ארצות בשנת 2023". www.cbs.gov.il (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2024-11-28.
  21. ^ "סחר החוץ לפי ארצות בשנת 2020". www.cbs.gov.il (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2024-11-28.
  22. ^ "סחר החוץ לפי ארצות בשנת 2017". www.cbs.gov.il (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2024-11-28.
  23. ^ "סחר החוץ לפי ארצות בשנת 2014". www.cbs.gov.il (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2024-11-28.
  24. ^ "סחר החוץ של ישראל לפי ארצות בשנת 2011". www.cbs.gov.il (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2024-11-28.
  25. ^ "סחר החוץ של ישראל לפי ארצות בשנת 2011". www.cbs.gov.il (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2024-11-28.
  26. ^ "סחר החוץ לפי ארצות בשנת 2008". www.cbs.gov.il (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2024-11-28.
  27. ^ "סחר החוץ לפי ארצות בשנת 2005". www.cbs.gov.il (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2024-11-28.
  28. ^ https://treaties.un.org/doc/Publication/Monthly%20Statement/2004/10/monstate.pdf
  29. ^ https://www.mako.co.il/news-world/international-q3_2014/Article-765754cacdf6841004.htm
  30. ^ https://www.mako.co.il/travel-world/Article-fb9480448a05091027.htm
  31. ^ https://www.israelhayom.co.il/travel/tourism-news/article/15974810
  32. ^ https://travel.walla.co.il/item/3688996
  33. ^ https://www.cbs.gov.il/he/mediarelease/doclib/2024/005/28_24_005t3.pdf
  34. ^ https://www.cbs.gov.il/he/publications/doclib/2024/1929_tourism_2022/t04.pdf
  35. ^ https://www.cbs.gov.il/he/publications/doclib/2017/1658_tayarut_2015/t04.pdf
  36. ^ https://lithuania.travel/en/trade/research-and-data/tourism-statistics
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