As he begins his third year as the Ambassador of Lithuania to the Netherlands, His Excellency Ambassador Neilas Tankevičius reflects on his first two years in The Hague and discusses future opportunities.
How were your first years?
They were quite busy. Many people think of The Hague as a quieter capital, not in the first tier of always-hectic diplomatic capitals. However, I disagree with this view now. Over the past two years, there has been significant activity not only on bilateral fronts but also on multilateral ones. It’s important to remember that The Hague is also the capital of international justice.
Can you say a few words about bilateral relations with the Netherlands?
One could call it a honeymoon period. I couldn’t be prouder of our bilateral relations and where we are headed. In almost every aspect—political, economic, people-to-people contacts, or tourism—there has been significant growth or important developments. It seems that after 20 years of EU and NATO membership we still discover new potential for bilateral cooperation.
You mentioned Lithuania’s successful campaign for membership in the Executive Council of the OPCW. Can you elaborate?
Last year, Lithuania decided to challenge Russia for a seat on the Executive Council. This was a successful campaign that we ran together with Poland and Ukraine. I want to thank every state party at the OPCW for their support, even those who raised doubts and asked questions, as this only reinforced our conviction that this step was right.
Why was challenging Russia important for Lithuania?
Challenging Russia was not the main goal. Lithuania has been a member of the Executive Council before, and we are confident we can be a constructive and useful member. However, by invading Ukraine in 2014 and 2022, Russia broke the UN Charter and various multilateral and bilateral agreements it had signed. Russia’s actions have resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of civilians and the destruction of thousands of residential buildings, schools, and kindergartens.
Additionally, there are numerous reports of Russia using chemical weapons, which is a direct violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention. Evidence is being collected daily to prove this. In this context, Lithuania believes that Russia has no legal or moral right to represent the Eastern European Group on the Executive Council. For our opinion to change, Russia must change its unacceptable behavior. The outcome of the elections showed that the majority of State Parties share this view.
Elections to the Executive Council are held every year. Do you think someone else will step into Lithuania‘s shoes this year too?
I believe so, because the issue at stake is the integrity and respect for the Chemical Weapons Convention and the United Nations Charter as a whole. Lithuania will support the challenger countries wholeheartedly.
You also mentioned that The Hague is the capital of international justice. What are you focusing on?
We are focusing on the ICC, ICJ, Europol, and Eurojust. Given the gravity of Russia’s breach of international law, we joined Ukraine’s case against Russia on the allegation of genocide at the ICJ. We also strongly support the arrest warrants issued by ICC Prosecutor Khan against Russia’s leadership for specific crimes, including war crimes, crimes against humanity, and aggression. Lithuania stands firmly in support of international law, and if a violation occurs, there must be accountability.
Returning to bilateral relations, you mentioned the term “honeymoon,” which is quite a strong word to describe relations between countries. Could you elaborate a bit more?
Indeed, over the past few years, our relations have flourished in every direction. The primary reason for this is that on almost all international issues, large and small, our countries’ positions align, leaving the rest for diplomats to manage.
On the political front, His Majesty the King has visited Lithuania twice in six years. We have also welcomed visits from Prime Ministers and other Ministers regularly. In terms of security and defense, we are grateful to the Netherlands for deploying around 300 soldiers in Lithuania. Economically, the world’s largest bicycle producer, Pon.Bike, has just opened a bicycle-assembly factory in Lithuania. Over time, it will produce as many bicycles per year as the Netherlands needs to import. We are very pleased with this investment, which also signifies Lithuania’s ongoing commitment to attracting top-quality investments.
On a people-to-people level, the number of Dutch tourists visiting Lithuania this year has already broken all records, which is a promising sign for both today and the future.
