The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania is the central executive government institution responsible for shaping and implementing the country's foreign policy. It manages diplomatic relations, oversees missions abroad, represents Lithuania in international bodies such as the European Union and NATO, and protects the rights of Lithuanian citizens abroad. Established in November 1918, the Lithuanian diplomatic service uniquely maintained institutional continuity in exile throughout the 1940–1990 Soviet occupation until the restoration of state independence.