Lithuania%E2%80%93Sweden_relations
Lithuania–Sweden relations
Bilateral relations
Lithuania–Sweden relations are the foreign relations between Sweden and Lithuania. Sweden has an embassy in Vilnius. Lithuania has an embassy in Stockholm.
In 1655, Sweden and Lithuania signed the Union of Kėdainiai, according to which Lithuania briefly became a protectorate of the Swedish crown. Diplomatic relations between Sweden and Lithuania were formally established on 21 December 1921. Sweden is one of the first among the few countries in 1944 to recognize the Soviet occupation of the Baltic countries. In 1945, Stockholm extradited to the Soviet Union around 170 Waffen-SS-soldiers from the Baltic countries who had fled the Red Army and found refuge in Sweden. On 15 August 2011, Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt officially apologized to the prime ministers of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in a ceremony in Stockholm saying that "Sweden owes its Baltic neighbours a "debt of honour" for turning a blind eye to post-war Soviet occupation" and speaking of "a dark moment" in his country's history.[1] Sweden re-recognized Lithuania's independence on August 27, 1991. Both countries are full members of Council of Europe and of the European Union and NATO. Sweden has given full support to Lithuania's membership of the European Union. Lithuania strongly supported Sweden's NATO membership.[citation needed]