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On 15 May, an MFA delegation headed by Foreign Minister Antanas Valionis participated in the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council’s (EAPC) Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Iceland’s capital Reykjavik. During the discussions, Antanas Valionis spoke on the future of the Euro-Atlantic partnership. Foreign Minister underscored the importance of the continuing fight against terrorism and summarised the efforts of Lithuanian Chairmanship at the Council of Europe in this field. Antanas Valionis also highlighted the importance of regional co-operation among the EAPC states. “We have accumulated solid experience of democracy, rule of law and respect for human rights. We are ready to share our co-operation experience in the Baltic Sea Region with interested countries in other regions”, the Minister said. In Reykjavik, under Lithuania’s initiative the Ministers of the states seeking NATO membership, or the Vilnius Ten, met with the US State Secretary Colin Powell. Antanas Valionis thanked Colin Powell and the US administration for its support to the process of NATO enlargement. According to the Minister, the USA remains the driving force of an extensive enlargement at the Prague Summit. Antanas Valionis welcomed the NATO member states’ communiqué adopted on 14 May. “I welcome NATO allies’ commitment to sign individual negotiation protocols with the states invited to the Alliance in the spring of 2003 and to accept these countries as full-fledged members at another NATO Summit. Such unambiguous position will contribute to the transparency and success of the integration process”, the Minister pointed out. Antanas Valionis underscored that Lithuania would further actively continue its preparation for membership. The Minister noted that Lithuania would also participate in the fourth cycle of the Membership Action Plan (MAP). The fourth Lithuanian National NATO Integration Programme will be prepared this summer. In Reykjavik Croatia has officially become the tenth member of MAP. Lithuania has already been taking part in this programme for three years. “I am very pleased, as the Foreign Minister of the state which had initiated the Vilnius Process with the growing number of our club members. This confirms that we are on the right path”, indicated Antanas Valionis. Lithuania’s Foreign Minister also met with Iceland’s Foreign Minister Halldor Asgrimsson. Antanas Valionis spoke on Lithuania’s progress in seeking NATO membership and expressed his gratitude for Iceland’s political support to our country’s membership aspirations. The Ministers shared their thoughts on the enlargement process. Antanas Valionis stressed that Iceland was the first state to recognise Lithuania’s independence and Lithuania would never forget this. Antanas Valionis also met with the head of the Kyrgyz delegation, First Deputy Foreign Minister Lydia Imanalieva. The officials discussed the issue of Lithuanian soldiers’ participation in the antiterrorist operation Enduring Freedom in Kyrgyzstan. The Minister urged the Kyrgyz side to speed up the solution of this question.