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List of ambassadors of the United States to Lithuania

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Ambassador of the United States to Lithuania
Seal of the United States Department of State
Incumbent
Kara McDonald
since January 26, 2024
NominatorThe President of the United States
AppointerThe President
with Senate advice and consent
Inaugural holderFrederick W.B. Coleman
as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
FormationSeptember 20, 1922
WebsiteU.S. Embassy - Vilnius

This is a list of ambassadors of the United States to Lithuania.

The United States first established diplomatic relations with the Baltic states (Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia) in 1922. One ambassador, resident in Riga, Latvia, was appointed to all three nations. Relations with the three nations were broken after the Soviet invasion of the republics in 1940 at the beginning of World War II. The United States never recognized the legitimacy of the Soviet occupation of the Baltic states, nor the legitimacy of the governments of those states under Soviet occupation. Hence, diplomatic relations were not resumed until 1992 after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The U.S. Embassy in Lithuania is located in Vilnius.

Ambassadors

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Name Class Title Appointed Presented credentials Terminated mission Notes
Frederick W. B. Coleman Political appointee Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary September 20, 1922 December 5, 1922 October 20, 1931 The ambassador was simultaneously accredited to Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, while resident in Riga, Latvia. During Coleman's tenure as non-resident Minister, the legation in Kovno (later Kaunas) was established on May 31, 1930, with Hugh S. Fullerton as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim.
Robert Peet Skinner Career FSO Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary September 23, 1931 February 13, 1932 Left post April 29, 1933 The ambassador was simultaneously accredited to Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, while resident in Riga, Latvia. Skinner was commissioned during a recess of the Senate and recommissioned after confirmation on December 17, 1931.
John Van Antwerp MacMurray Career FSO Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary August 28, 1933 December 20, 1933 February 12, 1936 The ambassador was simultaneously accredited to Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, while resident in Riga, Latvia. MacMurray was commissioned during a recess of the Senate and recommissioned after confirmation on January 15, 1934.
Arthur Bliss Lane Career FSO Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary January 24, 1936 June 24, 1936 September 16, 1937 The ambassador was simultaneously accredited to Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, while resident in Riga, Latvia.
Owen J.C. Norem Political appointee Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary August 23, 1937 November 26, 1937 June 15, 1940 Soviet forces occupied Lithuania on June 15, 1940, which effectively ended the U.S. diplomatic presence in Lithuania. Ambassador Norem departed Kaunas on July 30, 1940. Bernard Gufler was serving as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim when all U.S. diplomatic officials were withdrawn and the legation in Kaunas was officially closed on September 5, 1940.
Darryl Norman Johnson Career FSO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary March 23, 1992 April 14, 1992 May 23, 1994 The United States resumed diplomatic relations with Lithuania on September 2, 1991. Embassy Vilnius was established October 2, 1991 with Darryl N. Johnson as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim pending his appointment as ambassador.
James W. Swihart Career FSO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary August 26, 1994 September 26, 1994 July 16, 1997
Keith C. Smith[1] Career FSO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary August 1, 1997 September 9, 1997 July 29, 2000
John F. Tefft Career FSO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary June 14, 2000 August 30, 2000 May 10, 2003
Stephen D. Mull Career FSO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary April 16, 2003 August 26, 2003 June 16, 2006
John A. Cloud, Jr. Career FSO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary May 30, 2006 August 17, 2006 January 20, 2009
Anne E. Derse Career FSO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary September 28, 2009 October 14, 2009 July 1, 2012[2]
Deborah A. McCarthy[3] Career FSO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary January 7, 2013 February 19, 2013 July 27, 2016
Anne Hall Career FSO[4] Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary July 14, 2016 October 7, 2016[5] July 19, 2019
Robert S. Gilchrist Career FSO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary January 14, 2020 February 4, 2020 August 12, 2023
Kara McDonald Career FSO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary November 29, 2023 January 26, 2024 Incumbent

Notes

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  1. ^ "The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training Foreign Affairs Oral History Project AMBASSADOR KEITH C. SMITH" (PDF). Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training. February 5, 2004. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 3, 2024. Retrieved August 2, 2024.
  2. ^ US Department of State, Office of the Historian-Anne E. Derse (1954–)
  3. ^ US Department of State, Office of the Historian-Deborah Ann McCarthy (1955–)
  4. ^ "Ambassador | Vilnius, Lithuania - Embassy of the United States". vilnius.usembassy.gov. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
  5. ^ "Ambassador Hall Presents Diplomatic Credentials". U.S. Embassy in Lithuania. Retrieved August 2, 2017.

See also

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References

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