Ambassador of the United States to Lithuania | |
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![]() Seal of the United States Department of State | |
Nominator | The President of the United States |
Appointer | The President with Senate advice and consent |
Inaugural holder | Frederick W.B. Coleman as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary |
Formation | September 20, 1922 |
Website | U.S. Embassy - Vilnius |
This is a list of ambassadors of the United States to Lithuania.
The United States first established diplomatic relations with the Baltic states (Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia) in 1922. One ambassador, resident in Riga, Latvia, was appointed to all three nations. Relations with the three nations were broken after the Soviet invasion of the republics in 1940 at the beginning of World War II. The United States never recognized the legitimacy of the Soviet occupation of the Baltic states, nor the legitimacy of the governments of those states under Soviet occupation. Hence, diplomatic relations were not resumed until 1992 after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
The U.S. Embassy in Lithuania is located in Vilnius.
U.S. diplomatic terms |
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Career FSO After 1915, The United States Department of State began classifying ambassadors as career Foreign Service Officers (FSOs) for those who have served in the Foreign Service for a specified amount of time. Political appointee A person who is not a career foreign service officer, but is appointed by the president (often as a reward to political friends). Appointed The date that the ambassador took the oath of office; also known as "commissioning". It follows confirmation of a presidential appointment by the Senate, or a Congressional recess appointment by the president. In the case of a recess appointment, the ambassador requires subsequent confirmation by the Senate to remain in office. Presented credentials The date that the ambassador presented his letter of credence to the head of state or appropriate authority of the receiving nation. At this time the ambassador officially becomes the representative of his country. This would normally occur a short time after the ambassador's arrival on station. The host nation may reject the ambassador by not receiving the ambassador's letter, but this occurs only rarely. Terminated mission Usually the date that the ambassador left the country. In some cases a letter of recall is presented, ending the ambassador's commission, either as a means of diplomatic protest or because the diplomat is being reassigned elsewhere and replaced by another envoy. Chargé d'affaires The person in charge of the business of the embassy when there is no ambassador commissioned to the host country. Ad interim Latin phrase meaning "for the time being", "in the meantime". |
Name | Class | Title | Appointed | Presented credentials | Terminated mission | Notes |
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Frederick W. B. Coleman | Political appointee | Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary | September 20, 1922 | December 5, 1922 | October 20, 1931 | The ambassador was simultaneously accredited to Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, while resident in Riga, Latvia. During Coleman's tenure as non-resident Minister, the legation in Kovno (later Kaunas) was established on May 31, 1930, with Hugh S. Fullerton as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim. |
Robert Peet Skinner | Career FSO | Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary | September 23, 1931 | February 13, 1932 | Left post April 29, 1933 | The ambassador was simultaneously accredited to Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, while resident in Riga, Latvia. Skinner was commissioned during a recess of the Senate and recommissioned after confirmation on December 17, 1931. |
John Van Antwerp MacMurray | Career FSO | Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary | August 28, 1933 | December 20, 1933 | February 12, 1936 | The ambassador was simultaneously accredited to Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, while resident in Riga, Latvia. MacMurray was commissioned during a recess of the Senate and recommissioned after confirmation on January 15, 1934. |
Arthur Bliss Lane | Career FSO | Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary | January 24, 1936 | June 24, 1936 | September 16, 1937 | The ambassador was simultaneously accredited to Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, while resident in Riga, Latvia. |
Owen J.C. Norem | Political appointee | Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary | August 23, 1937 | November 26, 1937 | June 15, 1940 | Soviet forces occupied Lithuania on June 15, 1940, which effectively ended the U.S. diplomatic presence in Lithuania. Ambassador Norem departed Kaunas on July 30, 1940. Bernard Gufler was serving as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim when all U.S. diplomatic officials were withdrawn and the legation in Kaunas was officially closed on September 5, 1940. |
Darryl Norman Johnson | Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | March 23, 1992 | April 14, 1992 | May 23, 1994 | The United States resumed diplomatic relations with Lithuania on September 2, 1991. Embassy Vilnius was established October 2, 1991 with Darryl N. Johnson as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim pending his appointment as ambassador. |
James W. Swihart | Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | August 26, 1994 | September 26, 1994 | July 16, 1997 | |
Keith C. Smith [1] | Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | August 1, 1997 | September 9, 1997 | July 29, 2000 | |
John F. Tefft | Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | June 14, 2000 | August 30, 2000 | May 10, 2003 | |
Stephen D. Mull | Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | April 16, 2003 | August 26, 2003 | June 16, 2006 | |
John A. Cloud, Jr. | Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | May 30, 2006 | August 17, 2006 | January 20, 2009 | |
Anne E. Derse | Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | September 28, 2009 | October 14, 2009 | July 1, 2012 [2] | |
Deborah A. McCarthy [3] | Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | January 7, 2013 | February 19, 2013 | July 27, 2016 | |
Anne Hall | Career FSO [4] | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | July 14, 2016 | October 7, 2016 [5] | July 19, 2019 | |
Robert S. Gilchrist | Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | January 14, 2020 | February 4, 2020 | August 12, 2023 | |
Kara McDonald | Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | November 29, 2023 | January 26, 2024 | Incumbent |
The Latvian diplomatic service in exile was the only governmental body of the Republic of Latvia which continued its activities during the Nazi and Soviet occupation of Latvia during 1940–1991. Latvian diplomats who were stationed in embassies and consulates at the moment of the occupation in 1940, refused to recognize the occupation and return to Soviet Latvia. They continued to formally represent the interests of Latvia in countries that did not recognize the Soviet annexation. After the restoration of Latvian independence in 1991, the diplomats started reporting to the restored Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The three Baltic countries, or the Baltic states – Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania – are held to have continued as legal entities under international law while under Soviet occupation from 1940 to 1991, as well as during the German occupation in 1941–1944/1945. The prevailing opinion accepts the Baltic thesis of illegal occupation and the actions of the Soviet Union are regarded as contrary to international law in general and to the bilateral treaties between the USSR and the three Baltic countries in particular.
Lithuania is one of the most pro-United States nations in Europe and the world, with 73% of Lithuanians viewing the U.S. positively in 2011. According to the 2012 U.S. Global Leadership Report, 48% of Lithuanians approve of U.S. leadership, with 20% disapproving and 32% uncertain.
Lithuania–Russia relations are the bilateral foreign relations between Lithuania and Russia. They have been marked by an long and turbulent history, dating back to the Middle Ages. The two countries share a common border through Kaliningrad Oblast. Lithuania has an embassy in Moscow and consulates in Kaliningrad and Sovetsk. Russia has an embassy in Vilnius.
Latvia–Lithuania relations are bilateral international relations between Latvia and Lithuania. Latvia has an embassy in Vilnius, and Lithuania has an embassy in Riga. The two states share 588 kilometres (365 mi) of common border. Both countries are full members of the NATO and European Union.
The Welles Declaration was a diplomatic statement issued on July 23, 1940, by Sumner Welles, the acting US Secretary of State, condemning the June 1940 occupation by the Soviet army of the three Baltic countries – Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania – and refusing to diplomatically recognize their subsequent annexation into the Soviet Union. It was an application of the 1932 Stimson Doctrine of nonrecognition of international territorial changes that were executed by force and was consistent with US President Franklin Roosevelt's attitude towards violent territorial expansion.
The Baltic Legations were the missions of the exiled Baltic diplomatic services from 1940 to 1991. After the Soviet occupation of the Baltic states in 1940, the Baltic states instructed their diplomats to maintain their countries' legations in several Western capitals. Members of the Estonian diplomatic service, the Latvian diplomatic service and the Lithuanian diplomatic service continued to be recognised as the diplomatic representatives of the independent pre-World War II states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, whose annexation by the Soviet Union was not recognised by the United States, the United Kingdom, or France. The legations provided consular services to exiled citizens of the Baltic states from 1940 to 1991.
The Embassy of the United States in Tallinn, Estonia, is located at the chancery building on Kentmanni Street. This building housed the U.S. legation to Estonia from April 1, 1930 until September 5, 1940. The U.S. Mission to Estonia resumed operations in the same building on February 6, 1992.
The Diplomatic Service of the Republic of Lithuania is the part of the governmental service tasked with enforcing the foreign policy set by the President, the Parliament, and the Government of the Republic of Lithuania. The head of the service is the Foreign Minister.
Ints M. Siliņš is a Latvian-American retired Career Foreign Service Officer who served first as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim to Latvia beginning service October 2, 1991 and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Latvia until July 14, 1995.
Lithuania–Turkey relations are the foreign relations between Lithuania and Turkey.
Foreign relations exist between Australia and Latvia. Australia first recognised Latvia on 22 September 1921 and was among the first countries to re-recognise Latvia's independence on 27 August 1991. Both countries re-established diplomatic relations on 21 November 1991. Australia is represented in Latvia through its embassy in Stockholm, Sweden and an honorary consulate in Riga. Latvia has had an embassy in Canberra since October 2021, and also has honorary consulates in Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth.
Foreign relations exist between Australia and Lithuania. Australia was among the first countries to re-recognise Lithuania's independence on 27 August 1991. Both countries formally established diplomatic relations on 6 November 1991. Australia is represented in Lithuania through its embassy in Warsaw, Poland. Lithuania has had an embassy in Canberra since 2021.