Israel–Lithuania relations are foreign relations between Israel and Lithuania. Israel recognized Lithuania's independence in 1991. Both countries established diplomatic relations in 1992. Israel is represented in Lithuania through its embassy in Vilnius which was opened in 2015. Lithuania has an embassy in Tel Aviv.
There are 3,600 Jews living in Lithuania. Both countries are full members of the Union for the Mediterranean.
History
In 2019, the prime minister of Lithuania Saulius Skvernelis considered relocating the Lithuanian embassy to Israel to Jerusalem.
In 2022, Israel gifted the capital city of Lithuania, Vilnius, a paint wall to celebrate 30 years of diplomatic relations.
The Lithuanian parliament condemned October 7 attacks against Israel in 2023 with 108 votes. The Lithuanian Air Force was sent to Israel multiple times to evacuate Lithuanian citizens.
On 21 November 2024, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for two senior Israeli officials, Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, and Yoav Gallant, the former Minister of Defense of Israel, The Foreign Ministry confirmed that the arrest warrant would be executed.
In April 2025, Kestutis Budrys said "Lithuania is monitoring what is being proposed by France and could also recognize a Palestinian state, but only "at the right time".
Visits +Visits of officialsYearVisitNote1994The Lithuanian prime minister Adolfas Šleževičius visits IsraelThe first Lithuanian Prime Minister to visit Israel1995The Lithuanian President Algirdas Mykolas Brazauskas visits IsraelThe first Lithuanian President to visit Israel2005The Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus visits Israel2008The Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Petras Vaitiekūnas visits Israel2010The Lithuanian Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius visits Israel2012The Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Audronius Ažubalis visits Israel2013The Israeli President Shimon Peres visits LithuaniaThe first Israeli President to visit Lithuania2014The Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Avigdor Liberman visits Lithuania2015Lithuanian Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius visits Israel2015Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė visits Israel2017Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Linas Linkevičius visits Israel2018The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits LithuaniaThe first Israeli Prime Minister to visit Lithuania2018Lithuanian Speaker of the Seimas Viktoras Pranckietis visits Israel2019Lithuanian Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis visits Israel2020Lithuanian Speaker of the Seimas Viktoras Pranckietis visits Israel2022Lithuanian Speaker of the Seimas Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen visits Israel2023Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Gabrielius Landsbergis visits Israel2023Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė visits IsraelTBAThe Israeli President Isaac Herzog visits LithuaniaPostponed
Trade Israel and Lithuania trade is also influenced by the EU - Israel Free Trade Agreement from 1995. +Israel - Lithuania trade in millions USD-$ imports exports imports exportsTotal trade value2023126.956.4183.3202210938.2147.22021102.337.1139.4202081.839.7121.5201968.936.3105.2201861.138.399.4201744.639.383.9201638.532.170.6201532.931.664.5201423.451.775.1201326.943.570.4201235.146.181.2201133.338.972.2201022.130.752.8200913.719.833.5200824.542.466.9200721.826.248200615.11934.120059.614.123.720043.1912.120033.84.58.320023.258.2
Tourism Since 2001 Israel and Lithuania abolished the need for visa to travel.
Lithuania puts efforts to market the tourism for the Israeli visitors as the number of tourists from Israel increase. After the massacre of 7 October in 2023, Lithuania was shown by many Israeli media outlets as friendly, non-antisemitic, safe, green, interesting, and great cool escape from the summer. +Tourism from Lithuania in Israel and tourists from Israel in Lithuania2023202220212020201920182017Tourists from Arriving to 12,4006,9008007,90023,30019,20017,900Tourists from Arriving to 27,79024,8956,8482,84730,20526,02320,400
Resident diplomatic missions Israel has an embassy in Vilnius. Lithuania has an embassy in Tel Aviv. See also Foreign relations of Israel Foreign relations of Lithuania Lithuanian Jews History of the Jews in Lithuania
References
External links Israeli embassy in Riga (also accredited to Lithuania) Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs: list of bilateral treaties with Israel (in Lithuanian only) Lithuanian embassy in Tel Aviv