The Seimas was granted observer status in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie (FPA) at the 25th FPA session in Ottawa, Canada, on 7 July 1999. At the 34th FPA session in Quebec, Canada, on 2–8 July 2008, Lithuania was granted the status of associate member.

Lithuania has four seats in the Assembly, but the Delegation has only one vote during voting.

The activities of the FPA are aimed at the development and dissemination of the French language and culture as well as inclusion of French into the curricula of educational institutions. Therefore, the FPA membership is informed by the aim of maintaining as close contacts as possible with the parliamentarians of the French-speaking countries.

The following issues have recently been discussed in the Assembly: the role of enterprises in promoting French language teaching; the importance of French for economic relations; the language system in Switzerland and the importance of multilingualism; the role of French in developing cooperation between business organisations and research institutions in Europe; the influence of the Francophonie on the shaping and enhancement of the European identity in Central and Eastern European countries; cultural and economic cooperation in Europe; and the role of the Francophonie in strengthening youth education in Europe.

Sustainable f(F)rancophonie: Teacher’s Role, 13 November 2018.

Photo by Džoja Gunda Barysaitė, Office of the Seimas

Ever since its accession to the FPA, the Seimas has always had a representative delegation in the Francophonie during all legislative periods. Representatives of the Seimas endeavour to contribute to celebrating the International Francophonie Day and traditionally either organise, or contribute to the organisation of the Francophonic event every year in March.

Lithuania’s most important achievement in the FPA was the annual European Regional Session held in Vilnius in 2011.

The 24th regional session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie. From left to right: Jacques Legendre, Parliamentary Secretary-General of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie; Irena Degutienė, Speaker of the Seimas; Jean-Paul Wahl, Member of the Belgian Delegation; and Vidmantas Žiemelis, Head of the Seimas Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie.

Photo by Olga Posaškova, Office of the Seimas, 15 November 2011

At the beginning of the 2016 – 2020 legislative period, the Seimas Delegation to the FPA consisted of three members: Arūnas Gelūnas, Head of the Delegation, Arvydas Anušauskas, Deputy Head, and Antanas Vinkus, Member of the Delegation. In February 2019, when Gelūnas resigned from the Seimas to become Director of the Lithuanian National Museum of Art, the Seimas did not appoint any new members to the Delegation.

Funding. The annual budget of the FPA is composed of contributions of the member countries. The contributions are fixed annually on the basis of the standard of living in France. Lithuania’s contribution for the financial year 2020 was EUR 3,850.

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On 8 December 2020, in accordance with Article 81(1) of its Statute, the Seimas formed 10 parliamentary delegations, including the Seimas Delegation to the FPA, for the 2020–2024 legislative period. The Seimas approved Marius Matijošaitis as Head of the Delegation and Giedrius Surplys as Deputy Head.