Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevičius and Madagascar’s President Hery Rajaonarimampianina signed a joint communiqué on the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries during their meeting in Abidjan, the capital of Ivory Coast, on Wednesday, the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry said.
Linkevičius, in Abidjan for an African Union–European Union (AU-EU) summit, discussed with Madagascar’s president and its foreign minister prospects for developing bilateral relations, further cooperation in multilateral formats, as well as regional and global issues, it said.
He also presented Lithuania’s increasing involvement in Africa, according to the press release.
Madagascar is the 183rd state Lithuania has established diplomatic relations with.
The government gave the green light for establishing these relations with Madagascar back in 2004, but it took time to implement the decision.
Often credited as the founder of Lithuanian geopolitics, Pakštas (1893-1960) said that a Lithuanian colony, known as “Reserve Lithuania”, could be created in Madagascar, Angola or Belize, thus emphasizing the dangerous geopolitical situation of the interwar Republic of Lithuania. His ideas were not given serious consideration by the Lithuanian leaders of the period.