Canada – Lithuania
Diplomatic Relations 1991 to 2021
On the occasion of the 30^th Anniversary of the re-establishment of relations on August 26, 1991

A LONG HISTORY OF BILATERAL RELATIONS

• Lithuania’s diplomatic, consular and trade relations with Canada were first initiated by Lithuania January, 1919 in London England.
• Canada was part of the British Empire. Its foreign affairs were conducted from London.
• Lithuania’s and Canada’s relations were managed by a representative of the United Kingdom in Lithuania‘s then capital, Kaunas or by Lithuania’s Mission in London.
• After 1926, each Dominion of the British Empire was free to independently negotiate treaties with foreign states. In reality a number of treaties signed by Lithuania and Great Britain applied to the Dominion of Canada. For example, the agreement between Britain and Lithuania respecting commercial relations (May 6, 1922) stipulates that British Dominions will enjoy “most favourable” standing in Lithuania.
• Lithuania‘s relations with Canada were subsequently expanded by a number of treaties which were signed by the two countries.
• Canada, as a signatory of the Treaty of the Peace of Versailles, agreed to assigning the territory of Klaipėda on the Baltic seacoast to Lithuania.
• A mass wave of immigrants to Canada in 1926-1928 necessitated the establishment of Lithuania’s Consulate in Canada.

HONORARY CONSULS of LITHUANIA in CANADA

In 1937, a prominent Canadian Lieutenant-Colonel, G.L.P. Grant-Suttie was appointed the first Honorary Consul General of Lithuania to Canada. The first diplomat from Lithuania, Vytautas J. Gylys, was appointed in 1949.

Although in 1944 Lithuania was occupied by the Soviet Union, Lithuanian consular representation has operated in Canada without interruption since 1937. Canada did not recognize the Soviet annexation of the Baltic States and held this position until Lithuania restored its independence on March 11, 1990. Canada was the first G7 nation to recognize Lithuania as an independent country.

RESTORATION and RECOGNITION

Debates in the Canadian Parliament regarding the recognition of Lithuania‘s restoration of independence began on March 12 in the House of Commons and in the Senate on March 14, 1990. Discussions continued throughout the year until Canada, the first G7 nation to do so, recognized Lithuania de facto and de jure on August 26 in Ottawa and re-established diplomatic relations September 2, 1991 in Vilnius.

Click below:

Following passage by Canada’s Parliament of the resolution to recognize Lithuania as an independent country on April 26, 1991, Prime Minister Brian Mulroney announced that Canada will send a diplomatic mission to the capital cities of the Baltic States to officially establish diplomatic ties with Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. The delegation was headed by the Minister of International Development and Trade, Hon. Michael Wilson and included representatives of the Baltic communities in Canada.

Canada took a number of very deliberate steps in order to reinforce the establishment of relations with three independent Baltic countries:

• Instead of flying on a commercial airline, the delegation flew into the capital cities on an official government of Canada plane.
• As control of airspace was still in flux and airspace was not fully regulated, the Canadian flight path selected deliberately bypassed Moscow, although it was still necessary to fly over East Germany, Poland and Soviet air space.
• Symbolically, Canada felt that it was important that an official government of Canada plane land directly in the capitals of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia in recognition of their sovereignty.

As the plane reached East Germany, 2 fighter planes appeared and flew on either side of the Canadian plane until it reached Lithuanian airspace, then disappeared. The delegation reached Vilnius airport with no further incidents.

In Vilnius, on September 2, 1991 Minister Michael Wilson representative of the Government of Canada and Gediminas Vagnorius Prime Minister of the Republic of Lithuania signed a protocol that formally re-established diplomatic ties between Canada and Lithuania.

ASSISTANCE AND CO-OPERATION BEGINS

Canada‘s Ministries of External Affairs and International Trade through Canada’s Bureau of Assistance for Central and Eastern Europe, began work with the Baltic States. Bilateral Technical Assistance Projects for the Baltic States numbered close to 100 by early 1993. Projects were proposed in the areas of agriculture, democratic development and human rights, education, energy and nuclear safety, entrepreneurship and management training, environment, finance/banking, health care, humanitarian assistance, land management, public administration, and transportation.

The first bilateral treaty was signed in 1994 – Agreement Between the Government of the Republic of Lithuania and the Government of Canada on Trade and Commerce, Vilnius 1994.VIII.08.

Activities in the spheres of politics, culture and social relationships between the two countries increased. Interest in trade and investment opportunities between Canada and Lithuania was growing. At the same time the influx of Lithuanian immigrants into Canada increased significantly. The need to establish a formal embassy of Lithuania in Canada became evident.

Republic of Lithuania – Ambassadors to Canada

Ambassador Eidintas operated from his post in Washington, DC until 1997 when he was transferred to Ottawa to serve in Canada directly.

“…I will always be pleased and proud that in those days I succeeded in convincing the Government of Lithuania to establish a separate and fully operational Embassy in Canada. This was necessary to gain support for our aims to achieve membership in NATO and to strengthen our relationship with Lithuanians in Canada. This step fully paid off. I recall the first official visit to Canada that I organized for the President of Lithuania, V. Adamkus. Unfortunately, it had to end prematurely due to the sudden resignation by Lithuania’s Prime Minister, R. Paksas which required the President to immediately return to Lithuania.”
Alfonsas Eidintas’ email 2021.II.12

All of Lithuania’s Ambassadors carried out their diplomatic duties within the Canadian political sphere and liaised with the Lithuanian Canadian community across Canada.

BALTIC EVENINGS ON PARLIAMENT HILL

An important event that drew key politicians and the diplomatic corps stationed in Ottawa as well as officials of Canada’s federal government was the Baltic Evening dinner held on Parliament Hill. Organized annually since 1973 by the Baltic Federation in Canada and sponsored by members of the Canadian Parliament: the House of Commons and/or the Senate, these Baltic Evenings on Parliament Hill were influential and made it possible for a sizeable number of members of the Canadian Baltic communities to meet directly with Members of Canada’s Parliament – Senate and the House of Commons, and various high ranking government officials, including some Prime Ministers, Ministers of Foreign Affairs, international diplomats, etc. This was the best opportunity to present direct, reliable and truthful information about the socio-political conditions in the soviet-occupied Baltic States and topics of priority to the Canadian-Baltic communities.

It was also a unique opportunity for the Honorary Consul Generals of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to be recognized as part of the diplomatic corps. The day before a Baltic Evening was held, the Consul Generals were invited to observe the Parliamentary Session from the gallery specifically allocated to diplomats. They were formally presented at the Senate and the House of Commons and attended Committee meetings as members of the diplomatic corps. The Soviet Embassy expressed displeasure with this constant reminder that Canada did not recognize the Baltic States as part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSSR).

Comments from the video by the Foreign Ministers of Lithuania and Canada:

Gabrielius Landsbergis

Canada is one of the brightest stars in defending democracy, human rights, the principle of rule of law. These are the core values, that are very important to Lithuania too, having restored its freedom and already celebrating it for three decades.

Also, we should not forget our common history. Canada had offered asylum to Lithuanian people, who were fleeing during both, the First and the Second World Wars, and had chosen Canada as their home. And now Canada, I am sure, can rejoice in a large Lithuanian community, which makes our relationship even stronger.

Marc Garneau

We are looking forward for the next thirty years of diplomatic relations between our countries and to, generally speaking, build that relationship between Canada and Lithuania.

A word from the Ambassador of the Republic of Lithuania to Canada:

Darius Skusevičius

Just as it did 30 years ago, the Lithuanian Canadian Community and its organizations continue to actively participate in promoting relations between Canada and Lithuania.
Canada was the first G7 nation to recognize Lithuania’s independence and to re-establish diplomatic relations.
This exhibition serves to once again demonstrate how much Lithuania and Canada have in common. We intend to continue to build on the good relations developed over the past 30 years by strengthening our co-operation in the areas of culture, economic development, security, defence, foreign affairs and other important areas.

CONCLUSION

This 30-year anniversary of diplomatic relations between Canada and the Republic of Lithuania, marks the continuation of the long-standing bilateral relationship that has been in place, uninterrupted since 1919.  Over the past 30 years Lithuania as an independent country has enjoyed successful bilateral trade opportunities with Canada that reached $316.6 million Canadian dollars (in 2018) and signed a number of new trade and investment agreements:

• Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Lithuania and the Government of Canada on Trade and Commerce, Vilnius, 1994
• Convention between the Government of the Republic of Lithuania and the Government of Canada for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income and on Capital, Vilnius, 1996
• Agreement on Social Security between the Republic of Lithuania and Canada, Vilnius, 2005
• Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Lithuania and the Government of Canada concerning Youth Exchange, Vilnius, 2009

In 2004, Canada was one of the first countries to ratify Lithuania‘s accession to NATO and both countries to this day continue to enjoy positive, co-operative and constructive defence relations through NATO.  Both countries continue to work closely in many multilateral forums.  The bilateral relationship between Canada and Lithuania that started 102 years ago in 1919, continues to this day.