State visit sees Lithuania and Latvia exchange awards

Lithuania and Latvia exchanged state awards during Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs’ official visit to Lithuania, honouring individuals for their contributions to bilateral relations in politics, defence, culture, economy, and public cooperation, LRT.lt reports.

The exchange is a standard diplomatic practice during state visits, with the host country typically receiving twice or even three times as many awards as the visiting delegation, reflecting the greater effort involved in organising the visit.

Lithuania awarded 13 Latvian citizens, while Latvia honoured 26 Lithuanians. The selection of recipients is determined by mutual agreement between the two countries, with each submitting their own proposed lists.

During such visits, state leaders and their spouses are usually the first to exchange awards. Latvia awarded Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda and First Lady Diana Nausėdienė, while Lithuania honoured President Rinkēvičs, who is unmarried.

Albinas Januška, a former diplomat and foreign policy expert, noted that while the practice is routine, some Lithuanian politicians have treated their awards as exceptional recognition, despite them being part of diplomatic protocol. He also questioned why Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys was not among the recipients, as the list appeared to prioritise presidential advisors—eight of whom received awards, alongside the president and first lady.

Januška added that the selection of awardees can reveal the host country’s priorities, as Lithuania proposed its own list of recipients to Latvia. He suggested that a broader range of individuals, beyond government officials, could have been recognised.