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On December 5, a consultation "Lithuania and a Discussion on the future of the EU " was held at the President's Office in Vilnius. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Antanas Valionis pointed out that "Construction of the European Union is a permanent political process; which was started neither yesterday nor it will be finished tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. The framework of this stage is to be formed up of the EU Intergovernmental Conference that will be held in 2004 and a new so-called Convention method, which is to be used for the organization of the Conference. The Governmental Conference will be empowered to make decisions on the constitutional development of the EU but the options prepared by the Convention as well as the debates will strongly influence future results. The Minister thinks "the discussion on the future of the EU is closely related to the discussion on the EU enlargement; our initial proposition is simple - the successful future of the European Union is impossible without the success of the enlargement." Minister A. Valionis presented the basic principles to which Lithuania could and should adhere in the discussions on the future of the EU. The EU's achievements are impressive. Actually, there is no doubt about the fact that the goals put forward by the European Communities in 1950-1960 - the reconciliation of the nations of all the continent and welfare of all the citizens - having been realized. They remain important today: evolution but not revolution should serve as a basic principle. The establishment of the EU institutions could be derived from the goals. A basic reform of the interaction between the European Council, Parliament and Commission is hardly necessary. Gradual evolution of the goals should evoke the same evolution of the EU institutions. Lithuania is interested in further - modernizing - development of the EU's "community" method envisaging a game with equal rules for all countries. The forceful EU institutions, not a direct bilateral co-operation can guarantee a better protection of smaller countries' interests. A stronger co-operation should be an instrument for integration but not isolation. After the EU enlargement there will be more financial needs, thus a gradual reform of the EU financial resources should be considered. Lithuania as well as the other aspirant countries is concerned about continuing the adherence of the principle of solidarity in the enlarged EU. The successful structural and unifying EU's policy of should still be applied after the EU enlargement. For example, there should not be two different regional policies - one for the old EU members, another for the new ones. Thus Lithuania has been given a chance to participate in an unprecedent creation of the welfare of the European continent. We are obliged to make use of it. Speaking about the future of Europe we speak about the future and success of Lithuania which has no alternatives.