ICELAND’S SUBSTANTIAL ACCESSION NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE EUROPEAN UNION WILL GIVE AN OPTIMISTIC IMPETUS TO THE EU ENLARGEMENT, THE LITHUANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS
Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Audronius Ažubalis welcomes the successful beginning of Iceland’s accession negotiations with the European Union, which will have a positive impact on the process of enlargement of the European Union.
On 27 June in Brussels, during the Accession Conference with Iceland, the first 4 screened chapters were opened for negotiations of which 2 chapters were provisionally closed.“I am convinced that Iceland’s substantial and smooth accession negotiations will give an optimistic impetus to the whole EU enlargement process. We encourage Iceland to maintain rapid pace of negotiations,” the head of Lithuania’s diplomacy said.
The EU and Iceland have completed negotiations regarding the chapter on science and research and the chapter on education and culture. Negotiations regarding the chapter on public procurement and the chapter on information society and media were opened.
Lithuania strongly supports Iceland’s aspiration to join the European Union and assumes that the progress of negotiations with each candidate must depend on the country’s preparation and the alignment with and implementation of the acquis.
The EU and Iceland opened negotiations in 27 July 2010. Iceland expects to have opened negotiations on at least half of the remaining chapters by the second half of 2011, when Poland will hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
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