REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA
LAW
ON THE STATUS OF DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS OF
FOREIGN STATES IN THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA
The Supreme Council of the Republic of Lithuania,
pursuing from the universally recognized principles and
norms of international law consolidated in the united Nations
Charter, in the documents of the Conference on Security and
Cooperation in Europe, in the 18 April 1961 Vienna Convention on
Diplomatic Relations,
emphasising its adherence to the principles of sovereign
equality of states, peaceful settlement of international
disputes, and refraining from the use of force or threat by
force, and
expressing its conviction that granted privileges and
immunities shall condition effective performance of the functions
of diplomatic missions,
has enacted this Law.
Article 1. A diplomatic mission of a foreign state
(hereafter referred to as diplomatic mission) shall be a division
of the foreign affairs agency of a foreign state functioning in
the Republic of Lithuania, representing the sending state,
protecting in Lithuania the interests of the sending state and of
its citizens, and maintaining official relations between the
sending and the receiving states.
Article 2. For the performance of their functions,
diplomatic missions and their staff in Lithuania shall be granted
privileges and immunities provided by the 18 April Vienna
Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
Article 3. Persons who have been granted privileges and
immunities specified in Article 2 of this Law must respect the
Constitution and laws of the Republic of Lithuania.
Article 4. Upon receiving the agrement (approval) of the
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania, heads
of diplomatic missions, ambassadors and nuncios, envoys and
internuncios shall be accredited by the President of the Supreme
council of the Republic of Lithuania, and charges d'affaires of
foreign states by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the
Republic of Lithuania.
The class to which the heads of diplomatic missions are to
be assigned and the size of a diplomatic mission shall be
established by bilateral agreements.
Article 5. The head of a diplomatic mission of a foreign
state and diplomats shall not in the Republic of Lithuania
practice for personal profit any professional or commercial
activity.
Article 6. Ambassadors and nuncios, envoys and internuncios
shall commence to perform their functions by presenting their
credentials to the President of the Supreme Council of the
Republic of Lithuania.
Article 7. A diplomatic agent of the sending state may, with
the consent of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania, be
accredited at the same time to more than one state.
Article 8. A diplomatic agent of a foreign state in the
Republic of Lithuania may be a citizen of the Republic of
Lithuania or, with the consent of the Government of the Republic
of Lithuania, a citizen of a third state.
Article 9. Heads of diplomatic missions and diplomatic
agents, together with members of their families shall enjoy
inviolability of person and private residence. The Government of
the Republic of Lithuania shall take all appropriate steps to
ensure their safety.
Diplomatic agents who are not citizens of the Republic of
Lithuania shall enjoy immunity from criminal, civil, and
administrative jurisdiction of the Republic of Lithuania.
Diplomatic agents shall enjoy immunity from civil
jurisdiction, except in the cases of the diplomatic agents being
involved in civil actions in which they are private persons.
Administrative and technical staff, and members of their
families, if they are not citizens of the Republic of Lithuania,
shall enjoy equal privileges and immunities, except in cases
where civil and administrative jurisdiction is limited to
activities relating to their official functions.
The immunity of the service staff, if they are not citizens
of the Republic of Lithuania, as well as of diplomatic agents who
are citizens of the Republic of Lithuania, shall be limited only
to the actions relating to their official functions, unless an
agreement provides otherwise.
Article 10. Diplomatic agents and members of the
administrative and technical staff, if they are not citizens of
the Republic of Lithuania, shall be exempt from all dues and
taxes of the Republic of Lithuania, both national and municipal,
except:
1. indirect taxes;
2. taxes on private immovable property, unless he holds it
on behalf of the sending state for the purposes of the mission;
3. estate, succession, or inheritance duties;
4. capital taxes on investments made in commercial
undertakings in the receiving state; and
5. charges levied for specific services rendered.
Members of the service staff, if they are not citizens of
the Republic of Lithuania, shall be exempt from dues and taxes on
the emolument they receive by reason of their employment.
Article 11. The premises of a diplomatic mission, and the
property thereon, and the means of transport of the mission shall
be inviolable.
Government agents of the Republic of Lithuania may enter the
premises of a diplomatic mission only with the consent of the
head of the mission.
The archives and documents of a diplomatic mission shall be
inviolable wherever they may be.
Article 12. The premises of a diplomatic mission shall be
exempt from all national or municipal dues and taxes other than
such as represent payment for specific services rendered which
shall be levied in accordance with the order established by the
Government.
Article 13. In accordance with the laws and regulations of
the Republic of Lithuania, the diplomatic mission of the sending
state shall be permitted entry of articles for the official use
of the mission, and for the personal use of diplomatic agents and
their family members. These articles shall be granted exemption
from all customs duties.
The personal baggage of diplomatic agents shall be exempt
from inspection, unless there are serious grounds for presuming
that it contains articles, the import and export of which is
prohibited by the laws of the Republic of Lithuania or controlled
by special regulations.
Such inspection may be conducted only in the presence of the
diplomatic agent or of his authorised representative.
Article 14. Diplomatic missions of foreign states shall be
guaranteed, in accordance with the order established by the
Government of the Republic of Lithuania, the right to freely
communicate with the government of the sending state, and with
other missions and consulates of the sending state situated in
third states, employing for this end all appropriate means,
including messages in cipher, and diplomatic post and couriers.
Diplomatic missions may communicate with institutions of the
Republic of Lithuania through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of
the Republic of Lithuania in the manner established by the
Government of the Republic of Lithuania, with the exception of
transport, communications, health, and police institutions.
The diplomatic bag carried in the manner established by the
Government of the Republic of Lithuania may not be opened or
detained.
Having been granted the consent of the Government of the
Republic of Lithuania, a diplomatic mission may install and use
radio transmitters.
Article 15. Diplomatic missions of foreign states must be
provided with premises necessary for the performance of official
functions, and with private staff residences in accordance with
the procedure established by laws of the Republic of Lithuania.
Article 16. In the cases where an international agreement to
which the Republic of Lithuania is a party establishes norms
other than those set forth in this Law, the norms of the
international agreement shall be applicable.
Vytautas Landsbergis
President
Supreme Council
Republic of Lithuania
Vilnius
3 October 1991
No. I-1857