Authors

Discussion

The aim of this article is to examine and present how Lithuanian Presidents perceive Lithuanian Baltic identity. This study analyzes the concept of Lithuanian Baltic identity as articulated in Lithuanian Foreign Policy from 1993 to 2022. Through this analysis, I seek to identify references that reflect Baltic identity within the framework of Lithuanian Foreign Policy and to elucidate what it means to be considered Baltic.

The collected data are utilized to assess whether, and in what ways, identification as a Baltic state influences Lithuania's foreign policy. To reconstruct the themes associated with ‘Baltic identity’ in the official discourse on Lithuanian foreign policy, I employed two research methods derived from Allan B. Bentley’s framework: content analysis and discourse analysis, both conducted inductively.

This study encompasses the examination of over 1,200 public statements made by six Lithuanian Presidents: Algirdas Mykolas Brazauskas, Valdas Adamkus, Rolandas Paksas, Artūras Paulauskas, Dalia Grybauskaitė, and Gitanas Nausėda. This article contributes to the academic discourse by providing innovative methodological insights into the study of Lithuanian foreign policy. Additionally, it offers a novel analysis regarding the impact of Lithuanian identification as a Baltic state on the formulation and implementation of state foreign policy.