His Majesty the King of Norway and the Presidents of Finland and Lithuania officially opened new embassies in the Embassy House in Vilnius
The embassy block in central Vilnius has two new occupants – the embassies of Finland and Norway. The diplomatic mission of the Republic of Finland and the embassy of the Kingdom of Norway have relocated to the so-called Embassy House in the Naujamestis district of Vilnius. On 6 July 2009, the new premises were officially opened by His Majesty King Harald V of Norway, the President of Finland Mrs Tarja Halonen and the President of Lithuania Mr Valdas Adamkus. Of the 36 diplomatic missions opened in Vilnius, thirteen are currently located in the Naujamiestis embassy block.
“This is an important day for me and the other employees of the embassy. For 17 years, the embassy ended up working in premises that were supposed to be temporary. Now, the Finnish embassy is located in a beautiful contemporary building that has all the modern amenities and the facilities needed in the embassy’s operation. I am especially happy that we are sharing the Embassy House with our Norwegian colleagues, as this further facilitates cooperation between the Nordic countries. I hope that the people of Vilnius will also like the new building,” said Marja-Liisa Kiljunen, Ambassador of the Republic of Finland to Lithuania.
His Excellency Mr Steinar Gil, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway to Lithuania, shares this opinion: “These new official premises are the successful outcome of the joint project of the Finnish and Norwegian diplomatic missions to Lithuania. We are very proud of this example of Nordic cooperation. We are very pleased with our new offices and with this great location in the centre of Vilnius, in this beautiful new building.”
The newly-built Embassy House stands out for its multifunctional design. The Finnish embassy is located on the second floor of the Embassy House and the Norwegian embassy on the third floor of the building. In accordance with the general development principles of the block, a part of the building is intended for regular offices and apartments: the business apartments occupy the floors above the embassy floors, and the business premises are located on the first floor, with the uppermost (the sixth) floor housing prestigious apartments. The exterior of the building features stone, glass and copper – an elegant combination perfectly fit for the surroundings. During the renovation of the square, the developer kept all the trees and shrubs, and created a cosy corner with benches for relaxation. In addition to that, more than 20 oak trees and around 260 hornbeams were planted. The granite-paved square also features benches, footpaths and street lights, to create an inviting urban area for the residents of Vilnius. A contemporary playground was built for the building occupants and the children living nearby.
“In the development of the Embassy House project, we tried to combine the needs of embassies, businesses and residential occupants. We offer contemporary and convenient office premises. We have created a safe and high-quality environment for the occupants. In addition to the technical standard, the value of the building is also enhanced by the strategic location,” said Gediminas Tursa, the executive director of E.L.L. “Nekilnojamas turtas” (the developer). There are separate lifts and an underground car park with more than 50 spaces, which make life easier for the embassy employees and other occupants.
The project was executed by “E.L.L. Nekilnojamas turtas”. The company belongs to the international ELL Real Estate group, which operates in the Baltic countries, and has extensive experience in various types of property development.