Lithuania

Compiled from the August 2006 Background Note and supplemented with additional information from the State Department and the editors of this volume. See the introduction to this set for explanatory notes.

Official Name:
Republic of Lithuania

PROFILE

GEOGRAPHY

PEOPLE

HISTORY

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL CONDITIONS

ECONOMY

DEFENSE

FOREIGN RELATIONS

U.S.-LITHUANIAN RELATIONS

TRAVEL

PROFILE

Geography

Area: 65,200 sq. km. (26,080 sq. mi.); about the size of West Virginia.

Cities: Capital—Vilnius (pop. 541,278); Kaunas (364,059); Klaipeda (188,767); Siauliai (130,020) (January 2004).

Terrain: Lithuania’s fertile, central lowland plains are separated by hilly uplands created by glacial drift. A total of 758 rivers, many navigable, and 2,833 lakes cover the landscape. The coastline is 90 km. (56 mi.) long. Land use—44.2% arable land, 0.91% cultivated, 53.87% other.

Climate: With four distinct seasons, the climate is humid continental, with a moderating maritime influence from the Baltic Sea. January temperatures average -5°C (23°F); July, 17°C (63°F). Annual precipitation averages 62 centimeters (24.4 in.).

People

Nationality: Noun and adjective—Lithuanian(s).

Population: 3.4 million (July 2005 est.).

Growth rate: -0.3%. Birth rate—8.9/1,000. Death rate—11.9/1,000.

Ethnic groups: Lithuanian 83.4%, Poles 6.7%, Russians 6.3%.

Religions: Catholic (79%), Orthodox (4.1%), Protestant (1.9%).

Languages: Lithuanian; a minority speaks Russian (8%) and Polish (5.6%).

Education: Years compulsory—10 (until the age of 16). Literacy—99.6%.

Health: Infant mortality rate—67.8/1,000. Life expectancy—66.48 yrs. male, 77.85 yrs. female.

Work force: (2005 est.) 1.61 million: services 56%; industry and construction 20%; agriculture 16%.

Government

Type: Parliamentary democracy.

Constitution: On October 25, 1992 Lithuanians ratified a new constitution, which officially was signed on November 6 that year.

Government branches: Executive—popularly elected president (chief of state); prime minister (head of government). Legislative—Seimas (parliament—141 members, 4-year term). Judicial—Constitutional Court, Supreme Court, and Highest Administrative Court.

Political subdivisions: 10 counties and 60 municipalities.

Political parties: Labor Party—29 seats, Conservative Party—26 seats, Social Democratic Party—23 seats, Civil Democracy Group—12 seats, Liberal Movement Group—11 seats, Peasant and People’s Political Group—10 seats, Liberal Democratic Party—9 seats, New Union—9 seats, Liberal and Center Union—8 seats, Independent—4 seats.

Suffrage: 18 years, universal. General government budget: (2004) $4.96 billion (average exchange rate of 2004—2.78 Lt=$1).

Economy

GDP: (2005 est.) $25.5 billion.

Annual GDP growth rate: (2005 est.) 7.5%.

GDP per capita: (2005 est.) $7,487.

Inflation: (at the end of 2005) 2.7%.

Unemployment rate: (2005 est.) 4.8%.

Major sectors of the economy: Manufacturing 21.5%, wholesale and retail trade 17.7%, transport and communications 12.9%, real estate, renting and business activities 10%.

Trade: Exports—$11.82 billion: (2005) mineral products 27.5%, machinery and mechanical appliances 12.4%, textiles and textile articles 9.2%, wood and paper products 4.6%. Major export partners—Russia 10.4%, Latvia 10.1%, Germany 9.4%, France 7%. Imports—$15.48 billion: (2005) mineral products 25.6%, machinery and equipment 17.9%, transportation equipment 11.7%, chemicals 7.8%, base metals 7%, textiles and clothing 5.6%. Major import partners—Russia 27.8%, Germany 15.2%, Poland 8.3%, the Netherlands 3.9%.

GEOGRAPHY

The largest and most populous of the Baltic states, Lithuania is a generally maritime country with 60 miles of sandy coastline, of which only 24 miles face the open Baltic Sea. Lithuania’s major warm-water port of Klaipeda lies at the narrow mouth of Kursiu Gulf, a shallow lagoon extending south to Kaliningrad. The Nemunas River and some of its tributaries are used for internal shipping. (In 2000, 89 inland ships carried 900,000 tons of cargo, which is less than 1% of the total goods traffic). Between 56.27 and 53.53 latitude and 20.56 and 26.50 longitude, Lithuania is glacially flat, except for morainic hills in the western uplands and eastern highlands no higher than 300 meters. The terrain is marked by numerous small lakes and swamps, and a mixed forest zone covers 30% of the country.

The growing season lasts 169 days in the east and 202 days in the west, with most farmland consisting of sandy- or clay-loam soils. Limestone, clay, sand, and gravel are Lithuania’s primary natural resources, but the coastal shelf offers perhaps 10 million barrels’ worth of oil deposits, and the southeast could provide high yields of iron ore and granite. According to some geographers, Lithuania’s capital, Vilnius, lies at the geographical center of Europe.

PEOPLE

The earliest evidence of inhabitants in present-day Lithuania dates back to 10,000 BC. Between 3,000-2,000 BC, the cord-ware culture people spread over a vast region of eastern Europe, between the Baltic Sea and the Vistula River in the west and the Moscow-Kursk line in the east. Merging with the indigenous population, they gave rise to the Balts, a distinct Indo-European ethnic group whose descendants are the present-day Lithuanian and Latvian nations and the now extinct Prussians. The name “Lietuva”, or Lithuania, might be derived from the word “lietava,” for a small river, or “lietus,” meaning rain (or land of rain).

Lithuanians are neither Slavic nor Germanic, although the union with Poland and Germanic and Russian colonization and settlement left cultural and religious influences. This highly literate society places strong emphasis upon education, which is free and compulsory until age 16. Most Lithuanians and ethnic Poles belong to the Roman Catholic Church; Orthodoxy is the largest non-Catholic denomination.

Enduring several border changes, Soviet deportations, a massacre of its Jewish population, and German and Polish repatriations during and after WWII, Lithuania has maintained a fairly stable percentage of ethnic Lithuanians (from 79.3% in 1959 to 83.5% in 2002). Lithuania’s citizenship law and constitution meet international and OSCE [Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe] standards, guaranteeing universal human and civil rights.

The Lithuanian language still retains the original sound system and morphological peculiarities of the prototypal Indo-European tongue and therefore is fascinating for linguistic study. Between 400-600 AD, the Lithuanian and Latvian languages split from the Eastern Baltic (Prussian) language group, which subsequently became extinct. The first known written Lithuanian text dates from a hymnal translation in 1545. Written with the Latin alphabet, Lithuanian has been the official language of Lithuania again since 1989. The Soviet era had imposed the official use of Russian, so many Lithuanians speak Russian as a second language while the resident Slavic populace generally speaks Russian or Polish as a first language.

HISTORY

The first written mention of Lithuania occurs in 1009 AD, although many centuries earlier the Roman historian Tacitus referred to the Lithuanians as excellent farmers. Spurred by the expansion into the Baltic lands of the Germanic monastic military orders (the Order of the Knights of the Sword and the Teutonic Order) Duke Mindaugas united the lands inhabited by the Lithuanians, the Samogitians, Yotvingians, and Couranians into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (GDL) in the 1230s-40s. In 1251 Mindaugas adopted Catholicism and was crowned King of Lithuania on July 6, 1253; a decade later, civil war erupted upon his assassination until a ruler named Vytenis defeated the Teutonic Knights and restored order.

From 1316 to 1341 Vytenis’ brother and successor, Grand Duke Gediminas, expanded the empire as far as Kiev against the Tatars and Russians. He twice attempted to adopt Christianity in order to end the GDL’s political and cultural isolation from western Europe. To that purpose, he invited knights, merchants, and artisans to settle in Lithuania and wrote letters to Pope John XXII and European cities maintaining that the Teutonic Order’s purpose was to conquer lands rather than spread Christianity. Gediminas’ dynasty ruled the GDL until 1572. In the 1300s through the early 1400s, the Lithuanian state expanded eastward. During the rule of Grand Duke Algirdas (1345-77), Lithuania almost doubled in size. The 1385 Kreva Union signed by the Grand Duke of Lithuania Jogaila (ruled in 1377-81 and 1382-92) and the Queen of Poland Jadwyga intensified Lithuania’s economic and cultural development, orienting it toward the West.

Lithuania’s independence under the union with Poland was restored by Grand Duke Vytautas. During his rule (1392-1430) the GDL turned into one of the largest states in Europe, encompassing present-day Belarus, most of Ukraine, and the Smolensk region of western Russia. Led by Jogaila and Vytautas, the united Polish-Lithuanian army defeated the Teutonic Order in the Battle of Tannenberg (Grunewald or Zalgiris) in 1410, terminating the medieval Germanic drive eastward.

The 16th century witnessed a number of wars against the growing Russian state over the Slavic lands ruled by the GDL. Coupled with the need

for an ally in those wars, the wish of the middle and petty gentry to obtain more rights already granted to the Polish feudal lords drew Lithuania closer to Poland. The Union of Lublin in 1569 united Poland and Lithuania into a commonwealth in which the highest power belonged to the Sejm of the nobility and its elected King who also was the Grand Duke of Lithuania. Mid-16th century land reform strengthened serfdom and yet promoted the development of agriculture owing to the introduction of a regular three-field rotation system.

The 16th century saw a more rapid development of agriculture, growth of towns, spread of ideas of humanism and the Reformation, and book printing. The emergence of Vilnius University in 1579 and the Lithuanian Codes of Law (the Statutes of Lithuania) stimulated the development of culture both in Lithuania and in neighboring countries.

The Polish-Lithuanian Republic was weakened by the rising domination of the big magnates, and the 16th-18th-century wars against Russia and Sweden over Livonia, Ukraine, and Byelorussia. The end of the 18th century witnessed three divisions of the commonwealth by Russia, Prussia, and Austria; in 1795 most of Lithuania became part of the Russian empire. Attempts to restore independence in the uprisings of 1794, 1830-31, and 1863 were suppressed and followed by a tightened police regime, increasing Russification, the closure of Vilnius University in 1832, and the 1864 ban on the printing of Lithuanian books in traditional Latin characters.

Because of his proclamation of liberation and self-rule, many Lithuanians gratefully volunteered for the French Army when Napoleon occupied Kaunas in 1812 during the fateful invasion of Russia. After the war, Russia imposed extra taxes on Catholic landowners and enserfed an increasing number of peasants. A market economy slowly developed with the abolition of serfdom in 1861. Lithuanian farmers grew stronger, and an increase in the number of intellectuals of peasant origin led to the growth of a Lithuanian national movement. In German-ruled East Prussia, also called Lithuania Minor, Königsberg or Kaliningrad, Lithuanian publications were printed in large numbers and then smuggled into Russian-ruled Lithuania. The most outstanding leaders of the national liberation movement were J. Basanavicius and V. Kudirka. The ban on the Lithuanian press finally was lifted in 1904.

During WW I, the German Army occupied Lithuania in 1915, and the occupation administration allowed a Lithuanian conference to convene in Vilnius in September 1917. The conference adopted a resolution demanding the restoration of an independent Lithuanian state and elected the Lithuanian Council, a standing body chaired by Antanas Smetona. On February 16, 1918, the council declared Lithuania’s independence. The years 1919-20 witnessed Lithuania’s War for Independence against three factions—the Red Army, which in 1919 controlled territory ruled by a Bolshevist government headed by V. Kapsukas; the Polish Army; and the Bermondt Army, composed of Russian and German troops under the command of the Germans. Lithuania failed to regain the Polish-occupied Vilnius region.

In the Moscow Treaty of July 12, 1920, Russia recognized Lithuanian independence and renounced all previous claims to it. The Seimas (parliament) of Lithuania adopted a constitution on August 1, 1922, declaring Lithuania a parliamentary republic, and in 1923 Lithuania annexed the Klaipeda region, the northern part of Lithuania Minor. By then, most countries had recognized Lithuanian independence. After a military coup on December 17, 1926, Nationalist Party leader Antanas Smetona became president and gradually introduced an authoritarian regime.

Lithuania’s borders posed its major foreign policy problem. Poland’s occupation (1920) and annexation (1922) of the Vilnius region strained bilateral relations, and in March 1939 Germany forced Lithuania to surrender the Klaipeda region. Radical land reform in 1922 considerably reduced the number of estates, promoted the growth of small and middle farms, and boosted agricultural production and exports, especially livestock. In particular, light industry and agriculture successfully adjusted to the new market situation and developed new structures.

The inter-war period gave birth to a comprehensive system of education with Lithuanian as the language of instruction and the development of the press, literature, music, arts, and theater. On August 23, 1939, the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact pulled Lithuania first into the German sphere of influence and then brought Lithuania under Soviet domination following the Soviet-German agreement of September 28, 1939. Soviet pressure and a complicated international situation forced Lithuania to sign an agreement with the U.S.S.R. on October 10, 1939, by which Lithuania was given back the city of Vilnius and the part of Vilnius region seized by the Red Army during the Soviet-Polish war. In return, some 20,000 Soviet soldiers were deployed in Lithuania.

On June 14, 1940, the Soviet Government issued an ultimatum to Lithuania, demanding the formation of a new Lithuanian government and permission to station additional Red Army troops. Lithuania succumbed to the Soviet demand, and 100,000 Soviet troops moved into the country the next day. Arriving in Kaunas, the Soviet Government’s special envoy began implementing the plan for Lithuania’s incorporation into the U.S.S.R.

On June 17 the alleged people’s government, headed by J. Paleckis, was formed. Rump parliamentary elections were held a month later, and Lithuania was proclaimed a Soviet Socialist Republic on August 3. Total-itarian rule was established, Sovietization of the economy and culture began, and Lithuanian state employees and public figures were arrested and exiled to Russia. During the mass deportation campaign of June 14-18, 1941, about 7,439 families (12,600 people) were deported to Siberia without investigation or trial; 3,600 people were imprisoned, and more than 1,000 massacred.

A Lithuanian revolt against the U.S.S.R. quickly followed the outbreak of the war against Germany in 1941. The rebels declared the restoration of Lithuania’s independence and actively operated a provisional government, without German recognition, from June 24 to August 5. Lithuania became part of the German occupational administrative unit of Ostland. People were repressed and taken to forced labor camps in Germany. The Nazis and local collaborators deprived Lithuanian Jews of their civil rights and massacred about 200,000 of them. Together with Soviet partisans, supporters of independence put up a resistance movement to deflect Nazi recruitment of Lithuanians to the German Army.

The Red Army forced the Germans out of Lithuania in 1944 and reestablished control. Sovietization continued with the arrival of communist party leaders to create a local party administration. The mass deportation campaigns of 1941-52 exiled 29,923 families to Siberia and other remote parts of the Soviet Union. Official statistics state that more than 120,000 people were deported from Lithuania during this period, while some sources estimate the number of political prisoners and deportees at 300,000.

In response to these events, an estimated several tens of thousands of resistance fighters participated in unsuccessful guerilla warfare against the Soviet regime from 1944-53. Soviet authorities encouraged immigration of other Soviet workers, especially Russians, as a way of integrating Lithuania into the Soviet Union and of fomenting industrial development.

Until mid-1988, all political, economic, and cultural life was controlled by the Lithuanian Communist Party (LCP). The political and economic crisis that began in the U.S.S.R. in the mid-1980s also affected Lithuania, and Lithuanians as well as other Balts offered active support to Gorbachev’s program of social and political reforms. Under the leadership of intellectuals, the Lithuanian reform movement “Sajudis” was formed in mid-1988 and declared a program of democratic and national rights, winning nationwide popularity. Inspired by Sajudis, the Lithuanian Supreme Soviet passed constitutional amendments on the supremacy of Lithuanian laws over Soviet legislation, annulled the 1940 decisions on proclaiming Lithuania a part of the U.S.S.R., legalized a multi-party system, and adopted a number of other important decisions. A large number of LCP members also supported the ideas of Sajudis, and with Sajudis support, Algirdas Brazauskas was elected First Secretary of the Central Committee of the LCP in 1988. In December 1989, the Brazauskas-led LCP split from the CPSU and became an independent party, renaming itself in 1990 the Lithuanian Democratic Labor Party.

In 1990, Sajudis-backed candidates won the elections to the Lithuanian Supreme Soviet. On March 11, 1990, its chairman Vytautas Landsbergis proclaimed the restoration of Lithuanian independence, formed a new Cabinet of Ministers headed by Kazimiera Prunskiene, and adopted the Provisional Fundamental Law of the state and a number of by-laws. The U.S.S.R. demanded revocation of the act and began employing political and economic sanctions against Lithuania as well as demonstrating military force. On January 10, 1991, U.S.S.R. authorities seized the central publishing house and other premises in Vilnius and unsuccessfully attempted to overthrow the elected government by sponsoring a local “National Salvation Committee.” Three days later the Soviets forcibly took over the TV tower, killing 14 civilians and injuring 700. During the national plebiscite in February more than 90% of those who took part in the voting (76% of all eligible voters) voted in favor of an independent, democratic Lithuania.

Led by the tenacious Landsbergis, Lithuania’s leadership continued to seek Western diplomatic recognition of its independence. Soviet military-security forces continued forced conscription, occasional seizure of buildings, attacking customs posts, and sometimes killing customs and police officials.

During the August 19 coup against Gorbachev, Soviet military troops took over several communications and other government facilities in Vilnius and other cities but returned to their barracks when the coup failed. The Lithuanian Government banned the Communist Party and ordered confiscation of its property.

Despite Lithuania’s achievement of complete independence, sizable numbers of Russian forces remained on its territory. Withdrawal of those forces was one of Lithuania’s top foreign policy priorities. Lithuania and Russia signed an agreement on September 8, 1992, calling for Russian troop withdrawals by August 31, 1993, which took place on time.

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL CONDITIONS

Lithuania is a multi-party, parliamentary democracy. The president, who is elected directly for 5 years, is head of state and commander in chief overseeing foreign and security policy. The president nominates the prime minister and his cabinet and a number of other top civil servants.

The parliament (Seimas) has 141 members that are elected for a 4-year term. About half of the members are elected in single constituencies (71), and the other half (70) are elected in the nationwide vote by party lists. A party must receive at least 5% of the national vote to be represented in the Seimas.

Since 1991, Lithuanian voters have shifted from right to left and back again, swinging between the Conservatives, led by Vytautas Landsbergis (now headed by Andrius Kubilius), and the Labor (former communist) Party, led by former president Algirdas Brazauskas. This pattern was broken in the October 2000 elections when the Liberal Union and New Union parties won the most votes and were able to form a centrist ruling coalition with minor partners. President Adamkus played a key role in bringing the new centrist parties together. The leader of the center-left New Union (also known as the Social Liberal party), Arturas Paulauskas, became the Chairman of the Seimas. The then-government of liberal Rolandas Paksas got off to a rocky start and collapsed within 7 months. In July 2001, the center-left New Union Party forged an alliance with the left-wing Social Democratic Party and formed a new cabinet under former President Algirdas Brazauskas.

In January 2003, former Prime Minister and Liberal Union Party leader Rolandas Paksas defeated incumbent president Valdas Adamkus in a runoff presidential election. In December 2003, an ad hoc parliamentary commission found that President Paksas’ vulnerability to influence constituted a threat to national security. On April 7, 2004, parliament removed President Paksas from office. Valdas Adamkus won the second round of presidential elections in June 2004 and was sworn in as President on July 12, 2004. Following parliamentary elections in October 2004, a new government led by Prime Minister Algirdas Brazauskas took office on December 14, 2004. On April 11, 2006, Parliamentary Speaker Paul-auskas was removed from his position following a vote of no-confidence. That same day, Paulauskas announced the withdrawal of his New Union party from the ruling coalition. On May 31, 2006 the government collapsed following the withdrawal of the Labor Party. A new coalition government headed by Prime Minister Gediminas Kirkilas took office on July 18, 2006.

Lithuania officially became a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization on March 29, 2004 after depositing its instruments of treaty ratification in Washington, DC. Lithuania joined the European Union on May 1, 2004.

Principal Government Officials

Last Updated: 8/8/2006

President: Valdas ADAMKUS

Prime Minister: Gediminas KIRKILAS

Min. of Agriculture & Forestry: Kazimira PRUNSKIENE

Min. of Culture: Jonas JUCAS

Min. of Defense: Juozas OLEKAS

Min. of Economy: Vytas NAVICKAS

Min. of Education & Science: Roma ZAKAITIENE

Min. of Environment: Arunas KUNDROTAS

Min. of Finance: Zigmantas BALCYTIS

Min. of Foreign Affairs: Petras VAITIEKUNAS

Min. of Health: Rimvydas TURCINSKAS

Min. of the Interior: Raimondas SUKYS

Min. of Justice: Petras BAGUSKA

Min. of Social Security & Labor: Vilija BLINKEVICIUTE

Min. of Transport & Communications: Algirdas BUTKEVICIUS

Governor, Bank of Lithuania: Reinoldijus SARKINAS

Charge d’Affaires to the US: Kornelija JURGAITIENE

Permanent Representative to the UN, New York: Dalius CEKUOLIS

Lithuania maintains an embassy in the United States, temporarily located at 4590 MacArthur Blvd, Suite 200, Washington, DC, 20007, tel: (202) 234-5860.

ECONOMY

The Soviet era brought Lithuania intensive industrialization and economic integration into the U.S.S.R., although the level of technology and state concern for environmental, health, and labor issues lagged far behind Western standards. Urbanization increased from 39% in 1959 to 68% in 1989. From 1949-52 the Soviets abolished private ownership in agriculture, establishing collective and state farms. Production declined and did not reach pre-war levels until the early 1960s. The intensification of agricultural production through intense chemical use and mechanization eventually doubled production but created additional ecological problems. This changed after independence, when farm production dropped due to difficulties in restructuring the agricultural sector.

The transportation infrastructure inherited from the Soviet period is adequate and has been generally well maintained since independence. Lithuania has one ice-free seaport with ferry services to German, Swedish, and Danish ports. There are operating commercial airports with scheduled international services at Vilnius, Kaunas, and Klaipeda. The road system is good. Border facilities at checkpoints with Poland were significantly improved by using EU funds. Telecommunications have improved greatly since independence as a result of heavy investment. The national telecommunications company had a monopoly on the market until the end of 2002, but now several cell phone companies provide competition.

The economy of independent Lithuania had a slow start, as the process of privatization and the development of new companies slowly moved the country from a command economy toward the free market. By 1998, the economy had survived the early years of uncertainty and several setbacks, including a banking crisis, and seemed poised for solid growth. However, the collapse of the Russian ruble in August 1998 shocked the economy into negative growth and forced the reorientation of trade from Russia toward the West. Since the ruble crisis, the focus of Lithuania’s export markets has shifted from East to West. In 1997, exports to former Soviet states were 45% of total Lithuanian exports. In 2005, exports to the East (the Commonwealth of Independent States—CIS) were only 18% of the total, while exports to the EU-25 were 65%. The government of 1999, which was led by Prime Minister Kubilius, managed to control raging budget deficits in the midst of the crisis, and all successor governments have maintained that fiscal discipline.

The last couple of years have been good for the Lithuanian economy. In 2005, Lithuania’s GDP increased 7.5%, above expectations. Private consumption has been the principal driver of recent economic growth. The contribution of domestic market oriented sectors, especially construction, has also increased. Growth in 2005 was strongest in construction, retail and wholesale trade, and processing and light industries. Inflation was moderate, GDP growth was strong, and the government’s budget deficit stood at 1.2% of GDP in 2005. Lithuania continues to harmonize its regulatory environment with European Union requirements. Weaknesses remain in public policy development and structural and agricultural reforms. Lithuania pegged its national currency, the litas, to the euro on February 2, 2002 at the rate of LTL 3.4528 for EUR 1. The government hopes to join the single European currency zone on January 1, 2007, but its current inflation rate may reach or exceed the limit, forcing the government to postpone entry.

Lithuania has privatized nearly all formerly state-owned enterprises. More than 70% of the economy’s output is generated by the private sector. The share of employees in the private sector exceeds 72%. The Government of Lithuania completed banking sector privatization in 2001, with 89% of this sector controlled by foreign—mainly Scandinavian—capital. The government completed privatization of the national gas and power companies “Lietuvos Dujos” (Lithuanian Gas) and “Vakaru skirstomieji tinklai” (Western electricity distributor). “Rytu skirtomieji tinklai” (Eastern electricity distributor), “Lietuvos Energija” (Lithuanian Energy), and “Lithuanian Railways” remain state-owned.

Inflation reached 2.7% in 2005. The minimum wage increased in 2005 to $198 per month, slightly above the poverty threshold. The average wage stands at $464 per month.

Exports to the United States make up 4.7% of all Lithuania’s exports, and imports from the United States comprise 2% of total imports to Lithuania. Lithuania has accumulated foreign direct investment (FDI) of $6.8 billion. The stock of U.S. investments amounted to $300 million at the end of 2005, accounting for 5% of FDI. The current account deficit in 2005 stood at 7% of GDP.

DEFENSE

Lithuania, a relatively new NATO member, fully endorses the concept of “collective defense.” National policy recognizes the primacy of NATO as the guarantor of security in Europe. The goal of Lithuania’s defense policy is to create a military that can contribute to international missions through the NATO alliance, the UN, and other groups, and to continue to integrate Lithuania into Western defense structures. The defense ministry is responsible for combat forces, search and rescue operations, and intelligence. The government has committed to achieving the goal of dedicating 2% of GDP for defense spending.

Lithuania maintains 8,500 active duty troops and 8,000 reserve troops. The core of the Lithuanian force structure is the Iron Wolf Rapid Reaction Brigade, which consists of five battalions and appropriate support elements. The Lithuanian Air Force operates 17 fixed wing aircraft and nine helicopters. The Home Guard is currently organized into seven districts. Plans call for reorganization into five districts.

The Border Police are under the Interior Ministry and are responsible for border protection, passport and customs duties, and interdiction of smuggling and trafficking activities.

FOREIGN RELATIONS

Lithuania became a member of the United Nations on September 18, 1991, and is a signatory to a number of its organizations and other international agreements. It also is a member of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the North Atlantic Coordinating Council, and the Council of Europe. Lithuania gained membership in the World Trade Organization on May 31, 2001, and in November 2002 was invited to join NATO. Lithuania officially became a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization on March 29, 2004 after depositing its instruments of treaty ratification in Washington, DC. Lithuania joined the European Union on May 1, 2004.

Lithuania maintains foreign diplomatic missions in 60 countries on six continents, a consular post in one country that is not represented by an embassy, consular posts led by Honorary Consuls in 32 countries that are not represented by an embassy, and a special mission in one country without other diplomatic representation. Lithuania’s liberal “zero-option” citizenship law has substantially erased tensions with its neighbors. Its suspension of two strongly ethnic Polish district councils on charges of blocking reform or disloyalty during the August 1991 coup had cooled relations with Poland, but bilateral cooperation markedly increased with the holding of elections in those districts and the signing of a bilateral friendship treaty in 1994. Relations with Poland are now among the closest enjoyed by Lithuania. Although a similar bilateral friendship agreement was signed with Belarus in 1995, Lithuania has joined the United States and other European nations in urging the Government of Belarus to adopt democratic and economic reforms. President Adamkus was instrumental in brokering a peaceful resolution to the electoral challenges in Ukraine in 2004, and Lithuania plays an important leadership role in promoting democracy throughout the region.

U.S.-LITHUANIAN RELATIONS

The United States established diplomatic relations with Lithuania on July 28, 1922. The Soviet invasion forced the closure of the Legation to Lithuania on September 5, 1940, but Lithuanian representation in the United States continued uninterrupted. The United States never recognized the forcible incorporation of Lithuania into the U.S.S.R. and views the present Government of Lithuania as a legal continuation of the inter-war republic. Lithuania has enjoyed most-favored-nation treatment with the United States since December 1991. Since 1992, the United States has committed more than $100 million to Lithuania’s economic and political transformation and to address humanitarian needs. The United States and Lithuania signed an agreement on bilateral trade and intellectual property protection in 1994—a bilateral investment treaty in 1997, and in 1998, the United States signed a “Charter of Partnership” with Lithuania and the other Baltic countries. Under this partnership, bilateral working groups focusing on improving regional security, defense, and economic issues were established.

Principal U.S. Embassy Officials

VILNIUS (E) Address: Akmenu 6, Vilnius; APO/FPO: PSC 78 BOX V, APO AE 09723; Phone: 370-5-2665500; Fax: 370-5-2665510; Workweek: M-F/8-5; Website: WWW.USEMBASSY.LT.

Last Updated: 12/7/2006

TRAVEL

Consular Information Sheet : October 27, 2006

Country Description: Lithuania is a stable democracy undergoing rapid economic growth. Tourist facilities in Vilnius, the capital, and to a lesser extent in Kaunas and Klaipeda, are similar to those available in other European cities. In other parts of the country, however, some of the goods and services taken for granted in other countries may not be available.

Entry/Exit Requirements: A valid passport is required to enter Lithuania. The passport must be valid for at least six months from the date of entry. U.S. citizens do not need Lithuanian visas for most stays of 90 days or less. Travelers remaining in Lithuania for more than 90 days within any six-month period must apply for temporary residency. Lithuanian authorities recommend applying for a residency permit through a Lithuanian embassy or consulate before initial entry into Lithuania, as processing times can run beyond 90 days. All foreigners of non-European Union countries seeking entry into Lithuania must carry proof of a medical insurance policy contracted for payment of all costs of hospitalization and medical treatment in Lithuania. Visitors unable to demonstrate sufficient proof of medical insurance must purchase short-term insurance at the border from a Lithuanian provider for roughly $1.00 per day. The number of days will be calculated from the day of entry until the date on the return ticket. Visit the Embassy of Lithuania web site at www.ltembassyus.org for the most current visa information.

Safety and Security: Civil unrest is not a problem in Lithuania, and there have been no incidents of terrorism directed toward American interests. Incidents of anti-Americanism are rare.

For the latest security information, Americans traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department’s Internet web site, where the current Worldwide Caution Public Announcement, Travel Warnings and Public Announcements, can be found. Up-to-date information on safety and security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S., or for callers outside the U.S. and Canada, a regular toll-line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).

Crime: Lithuania is a relatively safe country. Visitors should maintain the same personal security awareness that they would in any metropolitan U.S. city. Large amounts of cash and expensive jewelry should be secured in a hotel safe or left at home. Crimes against foreigners, while usually non-violent, do occur. Pick pocketing and theft are problems; so personal belongings should be well protected at all times. Theft from cars and car thefts occur regularly. Drivers should be wary of persons indicating they should pull over or that something is wrong with their car. Often, a second car or person is following, and when the driver of the targeted car gets out to see if there is a problem the person who has been following will either steal the driver’s belongings from the vehicle or get in and drive off with the car. Drivers should never get out of the car to check for damage without first turning off the ignition and taking the keys. Valuables also should not be left in plain sight in parked vehicles, as there have been increasing reports of car windows smashed and items stolen.

Foreigners’ homes are sometimes burgled; home alarm systems should be used whenever possible. American citizens should avoid walking alone or in small groups late at night. ATMs should be avoided after dark. There have been cases of American citizens being drugged in bars and then taken elsewhere to be robbed. In any public area, one should always be alert to being surrounded by two or more people at once.

Racially motivated verbal, and sometimes physical, harassment of American citizens of non-Caucasian ethnicity has been reported in major cities. Incidents of racially motivated attacks against foreigners have been reported in Klaipeda.

Information for Victims of Crime: The loss or theft abroad of a U.S. passport should be reported immediately to the local police and the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. If you are the victim of a crime while overseas, in addition to reporting to local police, please contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate for assistance. The Embassy/Consulate staff can, for example, assist you to find appropriate medical care, contact family members or friends and explain how funds could be transferred. Although the investigation and prosecution of the crime is solely the responsibility of local authorities, consular officers can help you to understand the local criminal justice process and to find an attorney if needed.

Medical Facilities and Health Information: Medical care in Lithuania has improved in the last 15 years, but medical facilities do not always meet Western standards. There are a few private clinics with medical supplies and services that nearly equal Western European or U.S. standards. Most medical supplies are now widely available, including disposable needles, anesthetics, antibiotics and other pharmaceuticals. However, hospitals and clinics still suffer from a lack of equipment and resources. Lithuania has highly trained medical professionals, but their availability is decreasing as they leave for employment opportunities abroad. Western-quality dental care can be obtained in major cities. Elderly travelers who require medical care may face difficulties. Most pharmaceuticals sold in Lithuania are from Europe; travelers will not necessarily find the same brands that they use in the United States. Serious medical problems requiring hospitalization and/or medical evacuation can cost thousands of dollars or more. Doctors and hospitals often expect immediate cash payment for health services, particularly if immigration status in Lithuania is unclear.

Tick-borne encephalitis and lyme disease are widespread throughout the country. Those intending to visit parks or forested areas in Lithuania are urged to speak with their health care practitioners about immunization. Rabies is also increasingly prevalent in rural areas. The Lithuanian Government does not require HIV testing for U.S. citizens. However, sexually transmitted diseases are a growing public health problem.

Information on vaccinations and other health precautions, such as safe food and water precautions and insect bite protection, may be obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s hotline for international travelers at 1-877-FYI-TRIP (1-877-394-8747); or via the CDC’s Internet site at http://www.cdc.gov/travel. For information about outbreaks of infectious diseases abroad consult the World Health Organization’s (WHO) website at http://www.who.int/en. Further health information for travelers is available at http://www.who.int/ith.

Medical Insurance: The Department of State strongly urges Americans to consult with their medical insurance company prior to traveling abroad to confirm whether their policy applies overseas and whether it will cover emergency expenses such as a medical evacuation. All foreigners of non-European Union countries seeking entry into Lithuania must carry proof of a medical insurance policy contracted for payment of all costs of hospitalization and medical treatment in Lithuania (please see entry/exit requirements above).

Traffic Safety and Road Conditions: While in a foreign country, U.S. citizens may encounter road conditions that differ significantly from those in the United States. The information below concerning Lithuania is provided for general reference only, and may not be totally accurate in a particular location or circumstance.

The Police allow Americans to drive in Lithuania with an American driver’s license for up to 90 days. Americans who reside in Lithuania for 185 days or more in one calendar year and who wish to continue driving in Lithuania must acquire a Lithuanian driver’s license. The foreign license must be given to the Lithuanian Road Police to be processed by the Consular Department of the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which in turn sends it to the U.S. Embassy’s Consular Section, where the owner is expected to claim it.

Roads in Lithuania range from well-maintained two- to four-lane highways connecting major cities to small dirt roads traversing the countryside. Violation of traffic rules is common. It is not unusual to be overtaken by other automobiles, traveling at high speed, even in crowded urban areas. Driving at night, especially in the countryside, can be particularly hazardous. In summer, older seasonal vehicles and inexperienced drivers are extra hazards. Driving with caution is urged at all times. Driving while intoxicated is a very serious offense and carries heavy penalties. The speed limit is 50 km/hr in town and 90 km/hr out of town unless otherwise indicated. The phone number for roadside assistance is 8-800-01414 from a regular phone and 1414 from a GSM mobile phone.

Seatbelts are mandatory for the driver and all passengers except children under the age of 12. During the winter, most major roads are cleared of snow. Winter or all-season tires are required from November 10th through April 1st. Studded tires are not allowed from April 10th through October 31st. Drivers must have at least their low beam lights on at all times while driving. Public transportation is generally safe. Visit the website of the country’s national tourist office and national authority responsible for road safety at www.tourism.lt and at www.lra.lt/index_en.html.

Aviation Safety Oversight: As there is no direct commercial air service between the United States and Lithuania, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has not assessed Lithuania’s Civil Aviation Authority for compliance with ICAO aviation safety standards. For more information, travelers may visit the FAA’s Internet web site at www.faa.gov.

Special Circumstances: Lithuanian customs authorities may enforce strict regulations concerning the temporary importation into or export from Lithuania of items such as firearms and antiquities. Telephone connections are generally good. American 1-800 numbers can be accessed from Lithuania but not on a toll-free basis; the international long distance rate per minute will be charged. Local Internet cafes offer computer access. ATMs are widely available. Most hotels and other businesses now accept major credit cards.

Criminal Penalties: While in a foreign country, a U.S. citizen is subject to that country’s laws and regulations, which sometimes differ significantly from those in the United States and may not afford the protections available to the individual under U.S. law. Penalties for breaking the law can be more severe than in the United States for similar offenses. Persons violating Lithuanian laws, even unknowingly, may be expelled, arrested or imprisoned. Penalties for possession, use, or trafficking in illegal drugs in Lithuania are severe, and convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and heavy fines. Engaging in sexual conduct with children or using or disseminating child pornography in a foreign country is a crime prosecutable in the United States.

Children’s Issues: For information on international adoption of children and international parental child abduction, see the Office of Children’s Issues website at http://travel.state.gov/family/family_1732.html.

Registration/Embassy Location: Americans living or traveling in Lithuania are encouraged to register with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate through the State Department’s travel registration website, and to obtain updated information on travel and security within Lithuania. Americans without Internet access may register directly with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. By registering, American citizens make it easier for the Embassy or Consulate to contact them in case of emergency. The U.S. Embassy is located at Akmenu Gatve 6, tel. (370) (5) 266-5500 or 266-5600, fax (370) (5) 266-5590. Consular information can also be found at the Embassy Vilnius home page at www.usembassy.lt.

International Adoption : November 2006

The information below has been edited from a report of the State Department Bureau of Consular Affairs, Office of Overseas Citizens Services. For more information, please read the International Adoption section of this book and review current reports online at www.travel.state.gov/family.

Disclaimer: The information in this flyer relating to the legal requirements of specific foreign countries is based on public sources and current understanding. Questions involving foreign and U.S. immigration laws and legal interpretation should be addressed respectively to qualified foreign or U.S. legal counsel.

Please Note: Two U.S. embassies play complementary roles in the immigrant visa process for Lithuanian citizens, including adopted orphans. The U.S. Embassy in Warsaw, Poland ultimately issues all immigrant visas for citizens and residents of Lithuania. The U.S. Embassy in Vilnius, Lithuania conducts the mandatory I-604 Orphan Investigation interview for all orphan cases.

Patterns of Immigration: Please review current reports online at www.travel.state.gov/family.

Adoption Authority:
The State Child Rights Protection and Adoption Service
Ministry of Social Security and Labor:
Sodu g. 15
LT-03211 Vilnius, Lithuania
Tel: 370-5-231-0928
Fax: 370-5-231-0927
Web Site: www.ivaikinimas.lt
E-mail: [email protected]

Eligibility Requirements for Adoptive Parents: There must be a minimum of 18 years’ difference between adoptive parents and child. Adoptive parents generally cannot be over the age of 50. In rare instances, the courts may allow a family with one parent over the age of 50 to adopt a child over the age of eight. In addition, intercountry adoption of Lithuanian children is generally restricted to married couples. A single parent may be considered in exceptional cases when 1) the individual has been the foster parent of the particular child to be adopted, 2) the child has extremely serious health problems and no married couple wishes to adopt the child, or 3) the child is eight years of age or older and unable to be placed with another family. The Government of Lithuania publishes a list of medical conditions that would disqualify a prospective adoptive parent from adopting in Lithuania. The list is maintained on the State Child Rights Protection and Adoption Service website and includes: dipsomania (alcoholism), drug addiction “absent steady remission,” mental diseases (not specified), AIDS, HIV positive status, infectious tuberculosis, chronic kidney insufficiency when dialysis is obligatory, Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s chorea, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease), epilepsy with mental and personality changes, multi-system degeneration and third or fourth stage cancers.

Residency Requirements: There are no residency requirements for prospective adoptive parents in Lithuania.

Time Frame: Once a family is approved to adopt, it can take several years for a child eligible for inter-country adoption to be matched with prospective adoptive parents’ preferences. After a referral has been made and accepted, an adoption petition can be filed with the court. There is a 40-day waiting period from the time when the court issues the final approval of adoption until it comes into force.

Adoption Agencies and Attorneys: The U.S. Embassy in Lithuania maintains a list of local attorneys at http://www.usembassy.lt/Text/Docs/Consular/lawyers.htm. The Lithuanian government requires that all foreign adoption agencies seeking Lithuanian children be officially registered with the State Child Rights Protection and Adoption Service of Lithuania. The Lithuanian State Child Rights Protection and Adoption Service has a cooperative agreement with several overseas adoption agencies. The current list is available at the Lithuanian State Child Rights Protection and Adoption Service’s web site at http://www.ivaikinimas.lt.

Adoption Fees: There is a 100 Litas (roughly $35) filing fee with the court for the adoption hearing. Prospective adoptive parents can expect to pay adoption agencies for services rendered. Reliable information on the total average cost of an adoption from Lithuania is not available at this time.

Adoption Procedures: Prospective adoptive parents should complete the initial stages of the international adoption process in the United States, including filing form I-600A with USCIS, as this documentation is required to complete processing with the Lithuanian government. Prospective adoptive parents should then send a letter to the State Child Rights Protection and Adoption Service describing the sex and age of the child(ren) they are interested in adopting. This letter should include information about the prospective adoptive parents’ ages and professions. Since foreign parents of Lithuanian heritage are given preference over foreigners with no Lithuanian heritage, prospective adoptive parents should describe any family ties to Lithuania.

The State Child Rights Protection and Adoption Service places foreign families approved to adopt in Lithuania on a waiting list according to the date of submission of the complete set of documents. The agency then attempts to locate a child who seems to meet the prospective adoptive parents’ stated preferences. Foreigners interested in adopting are notified on a first-come, first-served basis by the State Child Rights Protection and Adoption Service about children available for adoption through the agents that represent them. The State Child Rights Protection and Adoption Service provides the U.S. prospective adoptive parents a report about the child being referred for adoption, including information about the child’s background, health condition, biological parents, etc. The State Child Rights Protection and Adoption Service issues special permission to citizens of foreign countries to meet with the child proposed for adoption. If the prospective adoptive parents accept the referral, i.e. agree to adopt the proposed child, they inform the State Child Rights Protection and Adoption Service, which then has the final decision about any particular adoption.

Once the prospective adoptive parents have decided to proceed with the adoption, they or their representative must submit a request for an adoption hearing to the Vilnius District Court. Please review current reports online at travel.state.gov/family for information on the documents required along with this request. After the Chairman of the Vilnius District Court verifies that all the documents are in order, he assigns the case to one of the Vilnius District Court judges for final review. Lithuanian law requires that both prospective adoptive parents appear in person at a court hearing to approve an intercountry adoption.

After the judge approves the adoption there is a 40-day waiting period before the adoption is final. Upon completion of the 40-day waiting period, the adoptive parents must then present the Adoption Decree to the Vilnius Civil Registry Office, Kalinausko Street #21, Room 8, together with their passports and marriage certificate, in order to obtain a new birth certificate and adoption certificate. After the adoption is final, the parents must obtain a Lithuanian passport for their child. Please see the International Adoption section of this book for more details and review current reports online at www.travel.state.gov/family.

Documentary Requirements:

• Prospective adoptive parents must a send a letter of interest to the Lithuanian State Child Rights Protection and Adoption Service, through their adoption agency, asking to be placed on the waiting list to adopt a child;
• Any other information the parents feel would be useful for the State Child Rights Protection and Adoption Service to know, including family heritage, ties to Lithuania, letters of reference, etc.
• Home study, reflecting the financial ability of the prospective adoptive parents to raise a child, their suitability as adoptive parents, and a recommendation that they be permitted to adopt;
• Medical examination certifying the prospective adoptive parents’ state of health;
• Copy of marriage certificate;
• Prospective adoptive parents’ birth certificates;
• Certificate of Eligibility to Adopt issued by the State Child Rights Protection and Adoption Service;
• Photocopies of the biographic pages of the prospective parents’ passports;
• Financial statements showing income of prospective adoptive parents;
• Police certificates from local police where the prospective adoptive parents reside for both prospective adoptive parents;
• Copies of birth certificates of both prospective adoptive parents;
• Copy of approved I-600A, issued by DHS.

Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania:
4590 MacArthur Blvd., N.W.
Tel: (202) 234-5860
Fax: (202) 328-0466
Web Site: www.ltembassyus.org
E-mail: [email protected]

Lithuania also has consulates in Chicago and New York.

U.S. Immigration Requirements: Prospective adoptive parents are strongly encouraged to consult USCIS publication M-249, The Immigration of Adopted and Prospective Adoptive Children, as well as the Department of State publication, International Adoptions. Please see the International Adoption section of this book for more details and review current reports online at www.travel.state.gov/family.

U.S. Embassy in Lithuania:
Akmenu 6
Vilnius, Lithuania
Tel: 011-370-5-266-5500
Fax: 011-370-5-266-5590
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://vilnius.usembassy.gov/ConsCitizen.asp

Additional Information: Specific questions about adoption in Lithuania may be addressed to the U.S. Embassy in Vilnius. General questions regarding intercountry adoption may be addressed to the Office of Children’s Issues, U.S. Department of State, CA/OCS/CI, SA-29, 4th Floor, 2201 C Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20520-4818, toll-free Tel: 1-888-407-4747.