Lithuania–Ukraine relations
Encyclopedia
Lithuania–Ukraine relations are foreign relations between Lithuania
and Ukraine
. Lithuania has an embassy in Kiev
and an honorary consulates in Lviv
. Ukraine has an embassy in Vilnius
and 3 honorary consulates (in Klaipėda
, Šalčininkai
and Visaginas
).
and Lithuania formed the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth which incorporated much of what is now Ukraine. Before 1918 both countries were part of the Russian empire
and until 1991 part of the USSR.
A number of agreements were signed in November 2009 including the mutual recognition of university qualifications and cooperation in preserving cultural heritage; furthermore Lithuania promised assistance to Ukraine with obtaining EU-membership
.
living in Lithuania and around 11,000 ethnic Lithuanians living in Ukraine.
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
and Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
. Lithuania has an embassy in Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
and an honorary consulates in Lviv
Lviv
Lviv is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city until the outbreak of World War II and the following...
. Ukraine has an embassy in Vilnius
Vilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
and 3 honorary consulates (in Klaipėda
Klaipeda
Klaipėda is a city in Lithuania situated at the mouth of the Nemunas River where it flows into the Baltic Sea. It is the third largest city in Lithuania and the capital of Klaipėda County....
, Šalčininkai
Šalcininkai
Šalčininkai is a city in Vilnius County, Lithuania, situated south-east of Vilnius, near the border with Belarus.Šalčininkai received its city rights in 1956 and is now a capital of the Šalčininkai district municipality. Šalčininkai features a multi-ethnic population of Poles , Lithuanians ,...
and Visaginas
Visaginas
Visaginas is a city with municipal rights in eastern Lithuania, situated near the country's biggest lake, Drūkšiai. Its administrative boundaries are in the process of being defined. The Vilnius–Daugavpils railway runs alongside the town, providing convenient communication with Vilnius and...
).
History of relations
Between 1569 and 1795 PolandPoland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and Lithuania formed the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth which incorporated much of what is now Ukraine. Before 1918 both countries were part of the Russian empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
and until 1991 part of the USSR.
A number of agreements were signed in November 2009 including the mutual recognition of university qualifications and cooperation in preserving cultural heritage; furthermore Lithuania promised assistance to Ukraine with obtaining EU-membership
Ukraine and the European Union
Relations between Ukraine and the European Union are currently shaped via the European Neighbourhood Policy , a foreign policy instrument of the EU designed for the countries it borders....
.
Overview
There are around 44,000 ethnic UkrainiansUkrainian diaspora
The Ukrainian diaspora is the global community of ethnic Ukrainians, especially those who maintain some kind of connection, even if ephemeral, to the land of their ancestors and maintain their feeling of Ukrainian national identity within their own local community.-1608 To 1880:After the loss...
living in Lithuania and around 11,000 ethnic Lithuanians living in Ukraine.
See also
- Foreign relations of LithuaniaForeign relations of LithuaniaLithuania 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 is also a member of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, NATO and its adjunct North Atlantic Coordinating Council,...
- Foreign relations of UkraineForeign relations of Ukraine-Western relations:Ukraine considers Euro-Atlantic integration its primary foreign policy objective, but in practice balances its relationship with Europe and the United States with strong ties to Russia. The European Union's Partnership and Cooperation Agreement with Ukraine went into force on...
- Ukrainians in LithuaniaUkrainians in LithuaniaThe Ukrainian minority in Lithuania numbered 22,488 persons at the 2001 census, and at 0.65% of the total population of Lithuania . The Ukrainian national minority in Lithuania has deep enough historical and cultural relations. During ages in Lithuania the prominent figures of Ukraine such as T....