Political relations, 2.12.2022

Turkey’s relations with Lithuania are conventionally based on the “Friendship and Cooperation Agreement”, which was signed in Moscow on 17 September 1930, which was also the date of the establishment of our diplomatic relations, and lsubsequently revised on 11 July 1994. Turkey did not recognize Lithuania's occupation and then annexation by the USSR in 1940. Following the collapse of the USSR, and Lithuania’s declaration of its independence on March 11, 1990, diplomatic relations between Turkey and Lithuania were re-established on September 3, 1991.Turkish Embassy in Vilnius was opened in 1992, and Lithuanian Embassy in Ankara was inaugurated in 1997.

Political relations between Turkey and Lithuania are progressing in a positive direction and show a tendency to develop in all areas. Turkey is important for Lithuania in the context of alliance relations within the framework of NATO. High-level authorities express gratitude for the strong and unconditional support we have given to Lithuania, which became a member of NATO in March 2004, in this process.

Lithuania supports our country's EU membership process. Chapter 22 "Regional Policy and Coordination of Structural Instruments" in our country's EU accession negotiations was opened during Lithuania's EU Presidency.

11^th President of the Republic of Turkey, H.E. Abdullah Gül paid a visit to Lithuania on 3-4 April 2013 upon the invitation of his Lithuanian counterpart, H.E. President Dalia Grybauskaitė, and the Business Forum organized with the participation of businessmen from the two countries accelerated our bilateral commercial and economic relations.

In return, President of the Republic of Lithuania H.E. Dalia Grybauskaitė made an official visit to Turkey between 7 and 9 December 2014. Minister of Foreign Affairs H.E. Linas Linkevičius and Minister of Economy H.E. Evaldas Gustas, who were in H.E. President Grybauskaitė's delegation, also met with Minister of Foreign Affairs H.E. Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and Minister of Economy of the time H.E. Nihat Zeybekçi. On the occasion of the visit, a declaration for the establishment of the Joint Economic and Trade Commission (JETCO) and a Memorandum of Understanding on the cooperation on EU membership of our country were signed with the Lithuanian side. During the visit, DEİK organized a Business Forum on 8 December 2014 with the participation of 22 businessmen from Lithuania.

Minister of Foreign Affairs H.E. Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu visited Lithuania on 2-3 April 2015 upon the invitation extended by Lithuanian Foreign Minister H.E. Linas Linkevičius and was received by H.E.President Grybauskaitė and then Prime Minister H.E. Algirdas Butkevičius, also met with the Tatar and Karaite community.

H.E. Foreign Minister Linkevičius paid a working visit to our country on 22-23 August 2016 and became the first Foreign Minister of NATO and EU country to visit Turkey in solidarity after the 15 July coup attempt.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania H.E. Linas Linkevičius paid a working visit to our country on 9 May 2018. H.E. Minister Çavuşoğlu paid an official visit to Lithuania on 28 August 2018, met with his counterpart H.E. Linas Linkevičius, was received by H.E. President Grybauskaitė and Prime Minister H.E. Saulius Skvernelis, and signed the "Book of Remembrance" opened on the occasion of the 100th Anniversary of the Restoration of the State of Lithuania. Within the scope of the said official visit, the updated text of the 1994 Mutual Promotion and Protection of Investments Agreement (MPPIA) was signed by the two Ministers of Foreign Affairs.

The first meeting of Turkey-Lithuania JETCO was held in Vilnius on 31 January 2020 and co-chaired by the Trade Minister H.E. Ms Ruhsar Pekcan and acting Lithuanian Ministry of Economy, Minister of Energy H. E. Mr. Žygimantas Vaičiūnas.

The latest political consultations between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Turkey and Lithuania were held online on April 15, 2021 between Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs H.E. Mr. Ambassador Faruk Kaymakcı and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania H.E. Mr. Ambassador Arnoldas Pranckevičius.

The President of Turkey met with the President of Lithuania H.E. Mr. Gitanas Nausėda at the margins of the NATO Summit held in Brussels on 14 June 2021.

H.E. Minister Çavuşoğlu and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania H.E. Mr. Gabrielius Landsbergis met at the margins of the Foreign Ministers Meeting of the Global Coalition Against DAESH held in Rome on 28 June 2021.

H.E. Mr. Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu visited Lithuania on 6-7 July 2021 to attend the VIII Ukraine Reform Conference.

Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs H.E. Mr. Gabrielius Landsbergis visited our country on 13-14 July 2021, following the visit of the Turkish Minister, alongside meeting with the Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs, he also met with the Minister of Interior.

Lithuanian President H.E. Mr. Gitanas Nausėda participated in the opening ceremony of the Türkevi held in New York on 20 September 2021, on the margins of the 76th General Assembly of the United Nations.

The first Defense Industry Cooperation Meeting between Turkey and Lithuania was held in Vilnius on 6-8 October 2021.

Director of State Archives Directorate of the Presidency Mr. Uğur Ünal visited Lithuania on 14-16 October 2021; on this occasion, a protocol for cooperation was signed between the State Archives Directorate and the Office of the Chief Archivist of Lithuania.

Then Head of the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Lithuanian Assembly (Seimas) H.E. Ambassador Mr. Žygimantas Pavilionis visited Turkey on 1-2 December 2021, accompanied by the Chair of the Group for Interparliamentary Relations with Turkey Mr. Kazys Starkevicius.

On 23 December 2021 the aid material, consisting of food and barbed wire and exceeding 150 tons, was delivered by Ambassador Mr. Gökhan Turan to the Chief of Lithuanian State Border Guard Service Mr. General Rustamas Liubajevas, at a ceremony at the Lithuanian Border Guard School in Medininkai. The handover ceremony was attended by Turkey‘s Military Attaché Mr. Colonel Hakan Akkanat, Lithuanian Deputy Minister of Interior H.E. Mr. Kęstutis Lančinskas, Deputy Minister of National Defense H.E. Mr. Žilvinas Tomkus, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs H.E. Mr. Ambassador Arnoldas Pranckevičius, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Lithuanian Parliament H.E. Mr. Ambassador Žygimantas Pavilionis and Deputy Head of the Lithuanian-Turkey Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group Mr. Gintautas Paluckas.