Ukrainian-Lithuanian Bilateral Relations at the End of the 20th – Beginning of the 21st Century: Formation of the Contractual Legal Basis

Abstract

This article examine show, after the adoption of the Declaration on State Sovereignty in 1990, Ukraine sought to become part of the “European house”, actively looking for opportunities to develop cooperation with all states of the continent.

The purpose of the development of relations with Lithuania is to strengthen the political, economic and cultural presence of Ukraine in Lithuania and the Baltic region, to facilitate the implementation of deep political and socio-economic reforms in country, as well as its integration into Western European and regional structures and organizations. For Lithuania, Ukraine is one of the priority countries due to its geopolitical position, which is important both from the point of view of the current situation and from broader strategic considerations.

It is about the fact that the active creation of a legal basis for the development of Ukrainian-Lithuanian relations in the early 1990s contributed to laying the foundations for real and full-fledged cooperation in various fields, which was then strengthened by new agreements. The change in diplomatic emphasis in interstate dialogue was consolidated by the conclusion of an agreement on cooperation and further development of friendly Lithuanian-Ukrainian relations, which included the expansion of cooperation at the interparliamentary level, as well as the intensification of interstate cooperation in the areas of healthcare, education, culture, and social protection of the population.

It is noted that the legal regulation of cooperation between Ukraine and Lithuania has its own characteristics and prospects. Today, Ukraine actively cooperates with the European Union, in particular with the Baltic countries, which allow sit to control and influence the processes taking place in the region, as well as to contribute to the creation of energy security as a counterweight to Russia. Multi-sectoral cooperation within the framework of the European Union, as well as between Ukraine and the Republic of Lithuania, should become an important priority of Ukraine’s foreign policy.