Israel–Lithuania relations

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Israel-Lithuania relations
Map indicating locations of Israel and Lithuania

Israel
Lithuania

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.

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

History

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Before the Holocaust, Lithuania was home for 160,000 Jews which were 7% of the population.[3]

In 2019, the prime minister of Lithuania Saulius Skvernelis considered relocating the Lithuanian embassy to Israel to Jerusalem.[4]

In 2022, Israel gifted the capital city of Lithuania, Vilnius, a paint wall to celebrate 30 years of diplomatic relations.[5]

The Lithuanian parliament condemned October 7 attacks against Israel in 2023 with 108 votes.[6] The Lithuanian society demonstrated their support to Israel many times including ceremonies and demonstrations.[clarify][7][8] The Lithuanian Air Force was sent to Israel multiple times to evacuate Lithuanian citizens.[9]

In April 2025, Kestutis Budrys said "Lithuania is monitoring what is being proposed by France and could also recognize a Palestinian state, but only "at the right time".[10]

Visits

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Visits of officials[11][12][13]
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[14]

Trade

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Israel and Lithuania trade is also influenced by the EU - Israel Free Trade Agreement from 1995.[15][16]

Israel - Lithuania trade in millions USD-$ [17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24]
 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.[25]

Lithuania puts efforts to market the tourism for the Israeli visitors as the number of tourists from Israel increase.[26] 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.[27][28][29]

Tourism from Lithuania in Israel and tourists from Israel in Lithuania[30][31][32][33]
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. ^ "Israel opens its first embassy in Lithuania, pre-war home to 250,000 Jews". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 2015-03-14. Retrieved 2025-01-15.
  3. ^ "Lithuania". encyclopedia.ushmm.org. Retrieved 2025-01-15.
  4. ^ "ראש ממשלת ליטא: שוקל להעביר את השגרירות לירושלים". www.hidabroot.org (in Hebrew). 2019-03-19. Retrieved 2025-01-15.
  5. ^ "ישראל פינת וילנה: ציור קיר ענק של נופי הארץ יעטר בניין בעיר". www.israelhayom.co.il. Retrieved 2025-01-15.
  6. ^ "Lithuania's parliament condemns Hamas attacks in Israel". lrt.lt. 2023-10-10. Retrieved 2025-01-15.
  7. ^ "Where does Lithuania's unwavering support for Israel come from?". lrt.lt. 2024-10-10. Retrieved 2025-01-15.
  8. ^ "ליטא: המדינה האירופאית שמביעה תמיכה מוחלטת בישראל מתחילת המלחמה". רשת 13 (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2025-01-15.
  9. ^ "Lithuania's military plane to fly third Israel evacuation mission". lrt.lt. 2023-10-13. Retrieved 2025-01-15.
  10. ^ "Lithuania could recognize a Palestinian state, but only 'at the right time': Foreign minister". www.aa.com.tr. Retrieved 2025-05-01.
  11. ^ "Bilateral relations". Retrieved 2025-01-15.
  12. ^ "Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman to visit Lithuania | Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania". Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman to visit Lithuania | Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania. Retrieved 2025-01-15.
  13. ^ "Naujausi maisto trendai Europoje: Ką turėtų turėti kiekviena šeimininkė?".
  14. ^ "Israeli president's visit to Lithuania postponed amidst Middle East tensions". lrt.lt. 2024-09-03. Retrieved 2025-01-15.
  15. ^ https://www.gov.il/BlobFolder/policy/eu-isr-fta/he/sahar-hutz_agreements_euro-fta-agri-2010-en.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  16. ^ https://www.gov.il/BlobFolder/policy/eu-isr-fta/he/sahar-hutz_agreements_euro-fta-agreement-en.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  17. ^ "סחר החוץ לפי ארצות בשנת 2023". www.cbs.gov.il (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2024-11-28.
  18. ^ "סחר החוץ לפי ארצות בשנת 2020". www.cbs.gov.il (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2024-11-28.
  19. ^ "סחר החוץ לפי ארצות בשנת 2017". www.cbs.gov.il (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2024-11-28.
  20. ^ "סחר החוץ לפי ארצות בשנת 2014". www.cbs.gov.il (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2024-11-28.
  21. ^ "סחר החוץ של ישראל לפי ארצות בשנת 2011". www.cbs.gov.il (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2024-11-28.
  22. ^ "סחר החוץ של ישראל לפי ארצות בשנת 2011". www.cbs.gov.il (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2024-11-28.
  23. ^ "סחר החוץ לפי ארצות בשנת 2008". www.cbs.gov.il (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2024-11-28.
  24. ^ "סחר החוץ לפי ארצות בשנת 2005". www.cbs.gov.il (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2024-11-28.
  25. ^ https://treaties.un.org/doc/Publication/Monthly%20Statement/2004/10/monstate.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  26. ^ "N12 - ליטא מנסה לשכנע את הישראלים לטייל ולעשות אצלה עסקים". N12. 2014-09-13. Retrieved 2025-01-15.
  27. ^ ""מחכים לישראלים": המדינה הזו רוצה שנגיע לטייל בה יותר מתמיד". mako. 2024-06-26. Retrieved 2025-01-15.
  28. ^ ""אנחנו תומכים בישראל באופן מלא": היעד המרתק שהישראלים עדיין לא גילו". www.israelhayom.co.il. Retrieved 2025-01-15.
  29. ^ "קו טיסות חדש אל המדינה האירופית שאוהדת את ישראל - וואלה תיירות". וואלה (in Hebrew). 2024-09-04. Retrieved 2025-01-15.
  30. ^ https://www.cbs.gov.il/he/mediarelease/doclib/2024/005/28_24_005t3.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  31. ^ https://www.cbs.gov.il/he/publications/doclib/2024/1929_tourism_2022/t04.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  32. ^ https://www.cbs.gov.il/he/publications/doclib/2017/1658_tayarut_2015/t04.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  33. ^ "Tourism statistics | Lithuania Travel". lithuania.travel. Archived from the original on 2024-12-07. Retrieved 2025-01-15.
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