Vice-Minister K. Vaitiekūnas: “We Thank Lithuanian Canadians for Their Strong Support and Deep Ties with Lithuania”
From October 19 to 23, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Kristupas Vaitiekūnas visited Ottawa and Toronto, where he met with representatives of the Lithuanian Canadian community and other Lithuanian organizations and visited Lithuanian community centres.
In Ottawa, the Vice-Minister met with representatives of the Lithuanian community in the Canadian capital. In Toronto, he met with leaders and members of the Lithuanian Canadian Community, the Lithuanian Canadian Youth Association, the Canadian chapter of the Lithuanian Riflemen’s Union in Exile, the Toronto Lithuanian community, and other organizations. K. Vaitiekūnas also visited Toronto Lithuanian House, the “Parama” Credit Union, the Anapilis Lithuanian Cultural Centre, the Lithuanian Martyrs’ Parish, the Lithuanian Museum-Archives of Canada, St. John’s Lithuanian Cemetery, the “Labdara” Lithuanian Nursing Home, and the Resurrection Parish. The Vice-Minister also attended the parish’s annual fair.
The meetings addressed the Lithuanian Canadian community’s support for Lithuania, Lithuanian-language education, the preservation of Lithuanian identity, diaspora engagement in Lithuania’s affairs, and support for Ukraine.
“I sincerely thank Lithuanian Canadians for their vigorous efforts to advocate for Lithuania’s freedom during the years of occupation, their substantial support for Lithuania following the restoration of independence, and their exceptional gift to Lithuania’s diplomatic service—the embassy building in Brussels. We are grateful for the decades you have devoted to preserving Lithuanian identity, culture, and heritage, as well as for your strong ties with Lithuania. I believe that, through our joint efforts, we will continue to strengthen these ties successfully,” said K. Vaitiekūnas.
During a meeting with the leadership of the Canada–Lithuania Chamber of Commerce, established through the efforts of Lithuanian Canadians, the Vice-Minister discussed bilateral economic cooperation, promoting exports of Lithuanian-origin goods, and preparations for the North American Lithuanian Business Forum, which will be held in Canada for the first time in June next year.
The Lithuanian Canadian community, which will mark its 75th anniversary in 2027, brings together 10 local chapters across various regions of the country. Canada is home to nine Lithuanian heritage schools, as well as Lithuanian youth, cultural, professional, financial, and other organizations and institutions. According to data from the State Enterprise Centre of Registers, nearly 4,000 citizens of the Republic of Lithuania live in Canada as of 2026.
