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Lithuania thanks Canada for decision to ratify the accession protocols which pave way for seven candidate countries to join NATO. On 31 March, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Antanas Valionis sent a letter to his Canadian counterpart Bill Graham in acknowledgement of this step of Canada. "The fact that the ratification procedures went through swiftly in the Canadian Government proves the country’s strong resolve in favour of NATO enlargement. It also shows that Canada considers the invitees as reliable future allies," Undersecretary of the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chief Coordinator of Lithuania’s Integration into the Alliance and Head of the country’s delegation for NATO accession negotiations Giedrius Čekuolis noted. The official expressed his belief that all the other countries of the Alliance will soon follow Canada’s suit. On 28 March, Canada the first of the NATO members completed the procedures required by its domestic law for the accession of Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Romania to the Treaty of Washington, the founding document of the North Atlantic Alliance. The approval or ratification of the accession protocols in the Government was announced by Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien. Upon ratification of the protocols by all the nineteen current members of the Alliance, the candidate countries, which were invited in November 2002 at the Prague Summit, will be able to ratify the Treaty of Washington in their turn and become full-fledged members of NATO.