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On 14-16 July this year, Honorary Consuls from all over the world are expected to arrive in Vilnius for the fourth Convention of Honorary Consuls of Lithuania. The Convention has been held every three years since 2001. We talk to ŠARŪNAS ADOMAVIČIUS, Lithuania’s Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, about Honorary Consuls and the forthcoming Convention.

 BiL Can we say that Lithuania has already completed creating its network of Honorary Consuls? Is the country adequately represented in all parts of the world?

This year we are celebrating the twentieth anniversary of the re-establishment of Lithuania’s independence, statehood and its diplomatic service and we are commemorating the 600th anniversary of the battle of Grunwald.

Thinking back to the history of Lithuanian statehood, I would like to mention the first Honorary Consuls of independent Lithuania, Vytautas Čekanauskas and Vaclovas Kleiza from the USA (they were appointed by the Lithuanian government in exile), Leon Bodd in Norway, Algis Kabaila in Australia, Haris Lapas in Canada, Algimantas Rastauskas in Argentina, Karl Rothenberger in Germany, and Vicente Alejandro Z. Araneta in the Philippines. We appreciate very much their support and help at a time when Lithuania was taking its first steps as a re-established independent state, and was struggling to find its place again in the international community.

Today, 166 Honorary Consuls represent Lithuania on all the continents. This is a great achievement for us, because Honorary Consuls are an important means for implementing our foreign policy.

We have the most Honorary Consuls in the USA, a total of sixteen, but they are most densely distributed in Europe. In Italy, we have nine Honorary Consuls, in Germany, Denmark, Poland, Sweden six each, in United Kingdom, France, Finland, Ukraine, and Norway five each. We have also appointed Honorary Consuls as far afield as the countries of Latin America, Asia and Oceania, Near East and Africa. We establish consulates in states where we have no diplomatic representation, where Lithuanians have economic interests, where large Lithuanian communities live, and in places that are popular with Lithuanian tourists.

Our priority is to expand the network of Honorary Consuls in the world, concentrating on those regions where we do not have embassies.

BiL How can Honorary Consuls help the country? Is it not just a symbolic title conferred upon foreigners for exceptional service to Lithuania?

Honorary Consuls contribute to fostering bilateral political, economic and cultural relations between states, and help Lithuanians who get into trouble, especially in countries where there is no Lithuanian Embassy. They promote Lithuania as a tourist destination, and contribute greatly to organising student exchange, business missions, official visits and events representing the country.

For several years already, Baron Wolfgang von Stetten, the Honorary Consul in Germany, a former Chairman of the German Bundestag Parliamentary Group for Relations with the Baltic States, has been organising exhibitions and concerts to present Lithuanian culture and art to the German public. He pays great attention to charitable projects, and co-operates closely with the town of Kelmė. He has been awarded the title of Honorary Citizen of the town for the support he provides to the residents of Kelmė and to non-governmental organisations.

I am happy that Honorary Consuls have responded to our appeal to initiate the renaming of streets in cities in foreign countries in honour of Lithuania. Today with the assistance of Lilia Fortunato, the Honorary Consul in Italy, it is possible to walk along a street named after Lithuania in the Italian town of Bari. I hope that this example will encourage other Honorary Consuls to contribute to the initiative.

I would also like to mention Wilhelm Brouwer, the Honorary General Consul in the Dominican Republic, Sergio Nunes, the Honorary Consul in Argentina, Ricardo Blagevich in Brazil, Felizardo Figueroa in Chile, Nawar Sukkar in Syria and many others who do a lot for the good of Lithuania.

We must not forget Honorary Consuls who foster the country’s culture in states where large Lithuanian communities live: Argentina, Australia, Canada, the USA, and Uruguay.

BiL Who finances the activities of Honorary Consuls? How much does the maintenance of the whole network of Honorary Consuls cost?

Honorary Consuls finance their activities and maintain their offices at their own expense. When appointing an Honorary Consul, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs evaluates his or her possibilities to represent Lithuania, to organise state festivals, presentations of culture and business, and to fulfil other functions.

Lithuania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs provides Honorary Consuls with information and promotion materials about Lithuania.

BiL What requirements are there for Honorary Consuls?

First of all, an Honorary Consul must be determined to work for the good of Lithuania, to have a vision of how to promote economic, trade and cultural co-operation, and to develop and encourage tourism and scientific exchanges. He or she must have an impeccable reputation and outstanding organisational and diplomatic abilities.

Lithuanian diplomatic representations and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs coordinate the activities of Honorary Consuls. Every three years a Convention of Honorary Consuls is convened, during which the main objectives in economic, cultural, tourism and other spheres are discussed. Not only Lithuanian diplomats but also representatives of other state institutions, business and culture can cooperate directly with Honorary Consuls, become acquainted with the results of their activities, help them to better understand current issues, and discuss common projects.

BiL Can Honorary Consuls, at least partly, compensate for the reduced capacities of the Lithuanian diplomatic service during the economic crisis?

We hope that with Lithuania going through a difficult economic year, Honorary Consuls will contribute to encouraging the revival of the economy and help to attract new investment into Lithuania. The development of business relations with other countries can help us to overcome the economic difficulties faster.

I would like to mention Gerrit Zandsteeg, the Honorary Consul in the Netherlands, who is especially effective in the economic sphere: he has established the Centre to Encourage Trade with the Baltic States, which not only helps to present the region’s potential to draw the Baltic States into the network of trading partners of the Netherlands, but also conducts consultations for companies that are interested in relations with Lithuania. Last year Gerrit Zandsteeg, together with Herman de Lange, another Lithuanian Honorary Consul in the Netherlands, organised the presentation “How to do Business in the Baltics” which received a great deal of attention.

Honorary Consuls in Finland, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Poland, South Africa, Syria, the USA, and other countries work in the sphere of economic diplomacy and develop bilateral relations with Lithuania.

When promoting Lithuania’s name at cultural events, Honorary Consuls help to save diplomatic representations abroad a lot of financial and organisational resources. Last year, when commemorating the millennium of the first mention of Lithuania’s name, the Foundation of Michel Sogny, the Honorary Consul in Switzerland, supported a concert given by young pianists at the Lithuanian National Philharmonic Hall, where four talented Lithuanian pianists performed. Through the efforts of the Foundation, the concert was broadcast live by the international cable television music channel Mezzo to thirty-nine countries, and the cable television news channel Euronews broadcast reports about the concert, about Lithuania, and about Vilnius as European Capital of Culture.

BiL What issues will be discussed at the Convention of Honorary Consuls?

The Convention of Honorary Consuls will address the most important issues in Lithuanian foreign policy, such as economic diplomacy and the encouragement of economic co-operation with other countries, the development of tourism, questions of Lithuanians living abroad and consular assistance to citizens of Lithuania, the presentation of Lithuania’s culture to the world, public diplomacy, the development of scientific exchanges, and closer cooperation between universities.

The Convention will include visits by Honorary Consuls to different regions of Lithuania, where they will be able to learn about the most progressive companies, and export and investment possibilities. We are glad that regional municipalities and companies in Lithuania have shown an interest in the possibility to introduce themselves to the Honorary Consuls, establish direct relations, find business partners and investors, and co-operate in culture, education and the arts.

It is highly symbolic that we will host Honorary Consuls in Vilnius on July 15, on the day when Lithuania will commemorate the 600th anniversary of the battle of Grunwald.

BiL How many Honorary Consuls are expected to take part in the Convention? What are the most distant countries they will come from?

We are expecting about a hundred Honorary Consuls from almost all the states in which Lithuania is represented. The most distant countries are Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Uruguay, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Kyrgyzstan, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Nigeria and South Africa.

BiL Can Honorary Consuls help ordinary Lithuanian citizens who get into trouble where there is no Lithuanian diplomatic or consular representation nearby?

One of the main and most important functions of Honorary Consuls has always been to provide consular assistance to Lithuanian citizens abroad when they get into trouble or fall ill.

Honorary Consuls help citizens to get in touch with members of their family and the Lithuanian diplomatic representation, they act as intermediaries with law enforcement institutions, and they provide information about the possibilities to appeal for help to government and non-governmental organisations in the country where they are. The assistance of Honorary Consuls is essential in Latin America, a continent where there is only one Lithuanian Embassy, in Buenos Aires. Our Honorary Consuls there, Judith Blacher Walker in Ecuador, Eduardo Paškevičius in Peru, Borisas Petrusevičius in Venezuela, Laima Grigaliūnas de Didžiulis in Columbia, and many others willingly provide consular assistance to citizens of Lithuania in Latin America.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to the Honorary Consuls for the work they do for Lithuania and its people.

Please click here for the illustrated version of the interview.