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On 30 May, a session of Coordination Commission for Lithuania’s integration into the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation at the Lithuanian Government was held. Chairman of the Coordination Commission Foreign Minister Antanas Valionis, Deputy Chairman of the Coordination Commission Defence Minister Linas Linkevičius, Chief Coordinator of Lithuania’s Integration into NATO MFA Secretary Giedrius Čekuolis, Director of State Security Department Mečys Laurinkus and representatives of other ministries and institutions participated in the session. The Commission decided to start preparation of the fourth Lithuania’s National NATO Integration Programme. The Chairman of the Commission noted that Lithuania has made considerable progress in the field of integration into NATO and should not slow down the reforms but consistently continue their implementation. “We are approaching the fulfillment of one of our foreign policy priorities – NATO membership. The fourth National NATO Integration Programme will help us to prepare well for the negotiations on NATO membership”, the minister pointed out. The Commission decided to present a draft programme to the Government for approval and to submit it to the Alliance by the end of September. During the meeting, the Commission members summed up the third MAP cycle results and discussed the main guidelines of the new programme. During the meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers in Reykjavik, the Alliance members committed themselves to conclude the negotiations with the invited states not later than in the spring of 2003. The Alliance will make its decision on the invitation of new members during NATO Summit to be held on November 21-22 in Prague.