News

In Dubrovnik, during the Croatia Summit “Europe’s New South” Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Petras Vaitiekūnas delivered a speech on the importance of regional cooperation for building security and prosperity.

“If one was to name the biggest geopolitical achievement of recent history in Europe, it is by no doubt the NATO and EU enlargement. It is my deepest conviction that the history is not over. When the countries of Western Balkans join the Euro-Atlantic institutions it will be another no less significant historical accomplishment,”  said Minister P.Vaitiekūnas.

The Minister invited participants of the conference to the upcoming Adriatic-Baltic-US Summit that is being organized in Vilnius, January next year. During the meeting marking the 10th anniversary of the USA-Baltic Charter and the 5th anniversary of the USA-Adriatic Charter, the future of the expansion of the Euro-Atlantic structures, perspectives of countries seeking NATO membership and the course of reforms in these countries will be discussed.

“The process of building peace, stability and prosperity in Europe is continuing. Lithuania knows the formula of success and wants to share it with other countries that are seeking Euro-Atlantic integration,”  spoke Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The USA-Adriatic Charter was signed by three Adriatic countries: Croatia, Albania and Macedonia. These countries expect to be invited to NATO during the NATO Summit in April 2008. This charter, as well as the USA-Baltic Charter or the Vilnius Ten initiative, constitutes the cooperation toolkit for quicker and more effective integration into the Euro-Atlantic structures.

During the event high-ranking representatives of NATO, the EU countries and partners are discussing major geopolitical and security issues in the South-Eastern Europe, debated the new status of the region in the Euro-Atlantic community, integration processes, security and domestic reforms.