Background
The Sweden-Lithuania Cooperation Fund initiative was taken in 2018 by the Swedish Government and presented by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Margot Wallström, in a meeting with her colleagues from Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia at Skansen in Stockholm, the 28th of May 2018.
The motive was to celebrate the centenaries of the three Baltic states and to strengthen relations, especially between youth, in Sweden and the three Baltic Republics. An interim committee led by the Minister created and established the statutes for all three foundations. The boards started their work in 2019.
The Fund
The Sweden-Lithuania Cooperation Fund is today an independent Foundation, aimed to renew and strengthen the relations between the two countries. The interest from the foundation´s capital is used to support exchange between groups, organizations and individuals.
The board, with four members from Sweden and four from Lithuania, is also interested in developing projects with new partners from the business sector. We are looking for external donors and partners that are interested in cooperation.
Purpose
The main task of the Sweden-Lithuania Cooperation Fund is to work for bilateral exchange and knowledge sharing between the countries. Networking between young people to enhance social cohesion, creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship is focus. The Fund is also working to enhance Swedish language and culture in Lithuania and vice versa.
“Promoting contacts between young people in our countries is the main forward-looking purpose of these funds. This is how we want to invest in our common future”
Margot wallström | previous minister for foreign affairs
Board
Peter Egardt (SE)
Chairperson
Jelena Angelis (LT)
Deputy Chairperson
Julija Reklaité (LT)
Birgitta Jacobsson Ekblom (SE)
Katarina Tracz (SE)
Laima Balčiūné (LT)
Ignas Scheynius (SE)
Paulius Serapinas (LT)
Office
Austra Kreslina
Administrator and project manager
Logotype
The Sweden-Lithuania Cooperation Fund announced a contest for the logotype of the Fund.
The winner of the contest is Andrius Vaškevičius, Visual Communication Designer, 24, with a Bachelors degree in Design for Creative Industries, from Vilnius College of Design, currently living in Stockholm, Sweden.
Andrius Vaškevičius:
“The most important points of the brief stated that the logo should reflect Swedish and Lithuanian culture, modernity and simplicity, at the same time being easily understood by all age groups. That's why the logomark is a stylised combination of both Swedish and Lithuanian flags. Minimal and clean design makes it modern, easily understandable, even without the title accompanying it, and reflects the goal of the organisation by bringing both the countries and their most recognisable symbols closer together.”