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Embassy of Lithuania, Washington, D.C.

Coordinates: 38°55′26″N 77°02′14″W / 38.92389°N 77.03722°W / 38.92389; -77.03722
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Embassy of Lithuania in Washington, D.C.
Embassy of Lithuania in 2023
Map
LocationWashington, DC, United States
Address2622 16th Street NW, Washington, DC.
Coordinates38°55′26″N 77°02′14″W / 38.92389°N 77.03722°W / 38.92389; -77.03722
AmbassadorAudra Plepytė

Embassy of Lithuania in Washington, D.C., is the diplomatic mission of the Republic of Lithuania to the United States. It is located at 2622 16th Street Northwest, Washington, D.C., in the Meridian Hill neighborhood.[1]

Building

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The building was designed by architect George Oakley Totten Jr. It was built in 1909 by Senator John B. Henderson and his wife Mary Foote Henderson. In 1924, Lithuania bought the building for $90,000.[2] It was damaged when a bomb was detonated at the next-door Cuban Interests Section on May 19, 1979. At the time the building was occupied by the Lithuanian diplomatic service acting in conditions of exile. Its meager budget did not allow for extensive repairs. Therefore, Stasys Antanas Bačkis organized a fundraising campaign among Lithuanian Americans and collected about $130,000. The repairs and much needed reconstruction was carried out in 1981–1983.[2]

History

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After World War I, Lithuania regained independence from the Russian Empire and opened legations to establish independent diplomatic representation. At the time, the legation was the standard form of diplomatic mission, and only Great Powers established embassies in each other's capitals. Although Lithuania was occupied and incorporated into the Soviet Union in 1940, its prewar government had instructed its diplomats to maintain an independent presence in exile. After the war, the embassy became the standard form of diplomatic representation, but Lithuania could not receive a U.S. Ambassador since its territory was occupied by the Soviet Union. By 1990, the Baltic legations were the last remaining legations in Washington, D.C.[3] In 1991, an independent Lithuania finally upgraded its legation to an embassy.

Ambassadors

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The ambassador of Lithuania in Washington, D.C. is the representative of the Lithuanian government for the US government.[4]

Diplomatic agrément Diplomatic accreditation Ambassador Observations President of Lithuania President of the United States Term end
October 11, 1922 Legation opened. Aleksandras Stulginskis Warren G. Harding
October 11, 1922 Voldemaras Vytautas Čarneckis [lt] Chargé d'affaires Aleksandras Stulginskis Warren G. Harding
December 11, 1923 Kazys Bizauskas Chargé d'affaires Aleksandras Stulginskis Calvin Coolidge
August 6, 1924 Kazys Bizauskas Aleksandras Stulginskis Calvin Coolidge
November 2, 1928 Bronius Kazys Balutis Antanas Smetona Calvin Coolidge
August 21, 1935 Povilas Žadeikis Antanas Smetona Franklin D. Roosevelt
May 11, 1957 Juozas Kajeckas [lt] Chargé d'affaires Dwight D. Eisenhower
January 1, 1977 Stasys Antanas Bačkis Chargé d'affaires Jimmy Carter
November 15, 1987 Stasys Lozoraitis Jr. Chargé d'affaires Ronald Reagan
September 2, 1991 President Bush announced that the US was prepared to immediately establish diplomatic relations with the Republic of Lithuania Vytautas Landsbergis George H. W. Bush
November 5, 1991 Dept informed that the Government of Lithuania wished to raise Legation to Embassy Dept agreed Nov 19 Vytautas Landsbergis George H. W. Bush
December 20, 1991 March 11, 1992 Stasys Lozoraitis Jr. Vytautas Landsbergis George H. W. Bush
November 24, 1993 December 9, 1993 Alfonsas Eidintas Algirdas Brazauskas Bill Clinton
September 30, 1997 November 12, 1997 Stasys Sakalauskas Algirdas Brazauskas Bill Clinton
March 7, 2001 March 13, 2001 Vygaudas Ušackas Valdas Adamkus George W. Bush
February 26, 2007 February 27, 2007 Audrius Brūzga [lt] Valdas Adamkus George W. Bush
August 5, 2010 August 10, 2010 Žygimantas Pavilionis Dalia Grybauskaitė Barack Obama
August 6, 2015 September 17, 2015 Rolandas Kriščiūnas [lt] Dalia Grybauskaitė Barack Obama July 22, 2019
April 21, 2021 May 18, 2021 Audra Plepytė Gitanas Nausėda Joe Biden

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Embassy.org: The Embassy of Lithuania". www.embassy.org.
  2. ^ a b Jonušauskas, Laurynas (2003). Likimo vedami: Lietuvos diplomatinės tarnybos egzilyje veikla 1940–1991 (in Lithuanian). Vilnius: Lietuvos gyventojų genocido ir rezistencijos tyrimo centras. pp. 303–305. ISBN 9986-757-56-8.
  3. ^ U.S. Department of State (February 1990). Diplomatic List. U.S. Government Printing Office.
  4. ^ "The Embassy". Embassy of Lithuania in Washington, D.C. 2014-02-03. Retrieved 2015-02-14.
  5. ^ Chief of Protocol, [1]
  6. ^ "Ambassador". Embassy of Lithuania in Washington, D.C. 2014-10-07. Retrieved 2015-02-14.
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