Engaging America: Ambassadorial Perspectives on Public Diplomacy Series

Room 5th Floor Studio. Join the Institute for Public Diplomacy and Global Communication (IPDGC) for an event featuring Lithuanian Ambassador H.E. Mr. Gediminas Varvuolis. This event is the latest in "Engaging America," our monthly series hosting international ambassadors to discuss their country's approach to public diplomacy. About the Speaker H.E. Mr. Gediminas Varvuolis currently serves as the ambassador of the Republic of Lithuania to the United States, having assumed his post in August 2025. A career diplomat, Ambassador Varvuolis most recently served as ambassador-at-large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, where he led Lithuania’s work on regional connectivity and the Three Seas Initiative. He previously held ambassadorial postings to the Kingdom of Belgium (2013–2018) and Japan (2018–2021), with concurrent accreditation to several countries in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. Ambassador Varvuolis has held a wide range of senior positions within the Lithuanian foreign service. He served as deputy head of the Permanent Representation of Lithuania to NATO, ministerial advisor on transatlantic cooperation, and director of the Department of Transatlantic Cooperation and Security Policy. Earlier in his career, he worked at the Lithuanian Embassy in France and led divisions within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs focused on NATO integration, crisis management, and threat analysis. He began his diplomatic service in 1995 after graduating from Vilnius University with a degree in history. He later earned a Diplôme d’études approfondies (DEA) in international relations from the Paris Institute of Political Studies (Sciences Po). Ambassador Varvuolis is fluent in Lithuanian, English, French, and Russian. He is married and has a strong personal interest in sports and cultural affairs. In 2021, he carried the Olympic torch as part of the Tokyo Summer Olympics relay. The series will explore two related themes: Savvy diplomats understand that to succeed in advancing foreign policy goals in Washington it is not enough to communicate in strictly government-to-government channels; they must act as public diplomats, engaging a range of audiences to influence perceptions. The interplay between public diplomacy actions and policy goals is frequently addressed from a U.S. government perspective, or in treating foreign governments' actions in a third country setting, but this series explores Embassies' engagement with the U.S. public.What does it take to be an Ambassador assigned by your government to Washington, DC? What sort of personality, background, and skills are required? Once assigned, how does an Ambassador prepare for their assignment, and once here, how do they continue a process of learning about their country of assignment? Most importantly, how does an Ambassador assigned to Washington connect with America outside the beltway? If every savvy diplomat is a public diplomat, then how do Ambassadors remain connected with the broader American public?Register online >>