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Member of the European Commission (EC) in charge of external affairs Christopher Patten thanked chief of Lithuanian diplomacy Antanas Valionis for Lithuania’s proposals on the development of the European Union’s relations with the new neighbour states after the enlargement. In the letter received on 27 March, the member of the EC states that in drafting the Communication “Wider Europe – Neighbourhood” of 11 March on the concept of the initiatives for relations with new neighbours, the European Commission took into account the proposals put forward by Lithuania. The Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs set out those recommendations in its non-paper submitted to the European Union in February. The member of the EC expressed his belief that Lithuania’s considerable expertise will be valuable in developing the Union’s further relations with its Eastern neighbours. A conference on the issue of a wider Europe and Eastern neighbours is planned to take place in Athens on 17 April, where Lithuania’s representatives are expected to participate too.