Latvia–Lithuania relations

Latvian–Lithuanian relations are bilateral international relations between Latvia and Lithuania. Latvia has an embassy in Vilnius, and Lithuania has an embassy in Riga.

Latvian–Lithuanian relations

Latvia
Lithuania
Diplomatic mission
Latvian Embassy, VilniusLithuanian Embassy, Riga
Envoy
Ambassador Einars Semanis Ambassador Antanas Vinkus
Memorial stone to the past building of the Embassy of Latvia to Lithuania in Kaunas

Both states share a long common history: both Latvians and Lithuanians belong to the family of Baltic peoples, speakers of the Baltic languages. The territory of Latvia and Lithuania were together part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth between 1561 and 1772 (with a brief period of Swedish rule in what is now Latvia in between). Between the late 18th century and 1918, the territory of both Lithuania and Latvia was part of the Russian Empire. Lithuania and Latvia re-established their diplomatic relations on October 5, 1991, after independence from the Soviet Union.

The two states share 588 kilometres (365 mi) of common border. Both countries are full members of the European Union.

Country comparison
 Latvia  Lithuania
Flag
Coat of Arms
Population 1,953,200[1] 2,810,865[2]
Area 64,589 km2 (24,938 sq mi) 65,300 km2 (25,200 sq mi)
Population density 34.3/km2 (88.9/sq mi) 43/km2 (111/sq mi)
Capital Riga Vilnius
Largest city Riga - 641,423 (1,018,295 Metro) Vilnius - 545,280 (805,173 Metro)
Government Unitary parliamentary constitutional republic Unitary semi-presidential republic[3]
First Leader Jānis Čakste Antanas Smetona
Current Leader Egils Levits (President)
Krišjānis Kariņš (Prime Minister)		 Gitanas Nausėda (President)
Ingrida Šimonytė (Prime Minister)
Official languages Latvian Lithuanian
Main religions 80% Christianity (34.3% Lutheranism, 25.1% Catholicism, 19.4% Eastern Orthodoxy/Old Believers, 1.2% other Christian), 20% non-Religious 82.1% Christianity (77.2% Catholicism, 4.9% Eastern Orthodoxy/Old Believers), 10.1% undeclared, 6.1% non-Religious, 1.67% other [4]
Ethnic groups 62% Latvian, 25.4% Russian, 3.3% Belarusian, 2.2% Ukrainian, 2.1% Polish, 1.2% Lithuanian, 3.8% other[5] 86.7% Lithuanian, 5.6% Polish, 4.8% Russian, 1.3% Belarusian, 0.7% Ukrainian, 0.9% other
GDP (nominal) $30.176 billion ($15,403 per capita) $51.372 billion ($18,312 per capita)
GDP (PPP) $53.467 billion ($27,291 per capita) $95.591 billion ($34,074 per capita)
Real GDP growth rate 2.00% 2.30%

1920s border dispute

In the early 1920s, Latvia and Lithuania had a peaceful dispute about the towns of Palanga and Šventoji which were initially part of Latvia following the country's independence but were of strategic interest to Lithuania. The dispute was peacefully resolved in 1921 with the help of an international commission, and the territories were transferred to Lithuania. As a compensation, Latvia received the Latvian-majority territories of what now are Ukri Parish, Brunava Parish, Aknīste Parish. Latvia's claims on the town of Mažeikiai were rejected by the international commission. The Lithuanians had to drop their claims on Ilūkste Municipality and Daugavpils.[6]

Resident diplomatic missions
Embassy of Lithuania in Riga
  • Latvia has an embassy in Vilnius.
  • Lithuania has an embassy in Riga.

See also

References
  1. "The number of population is decreasing – the mark has dropped below 2 million". Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia. Nov 2015. Archived from the original on 2017-10-14. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  2. "Statistikos departamentas".
  3. Kulikauskienė, Lina (2002). Lietuvos Respublikos Konstitucija [The Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania] (in Lithuanian). Native History, CD. ISBN 9986-9216-7-8.
  4. Department of Statistics to the Government of the Republic of Lithuania. "Ethnicity, mother tongue and religion". Archived from the original on 2014-10-08. Retrieved 2018-01-05.. 2013-03-15.
  6. Latvijas iegūtās un zaudētās teritorijas - neogeo.lv, November 10, 2011


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