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On June 25, acting Lithuanian Foreign Minister Antanas Valionis delivered a welcome speech to the joint Lithuanian-European Union Parliamentary Committee meeting in Vilnius. Valionis said he was pleased by the qualitative breakthrough achieved in negotiations in the first half of this year, with movement from technical aspects to political issues, including complex ones such as agriculture policy, funding, free movement of labour, energy policy and justice and home affairs. 'Lithuanian progress in negotiations is clear. Negotiations, which tomorrow will open the last chapter, on Justice and Home Affairs, are beginning on all fronts. All negotiating positions are on the table,' Valionis said. He said that the closing of negotiating chapters on Freedom to Provide Services, the Free Movement of Goods and the Free Movement of Capital were especially important, because these are three of four freedoms of the European common market. The freedom of movement for persons is the fourth freedom of the European common market. Valionis said that Lithuania had sent letters this month to the leaders of all EU national governments, asking them to ensure the freedom of movement for persons between EU member states and Lithuania as early as possible, through either bilateral or national instruments. The acting foreign minister said Lithuania expects to hear positive replies, which will allow swifter coordination of positions on the freedom of movement for persons in negotiations. Valionis admitted that one of the hardest negotiating tasks was to find common solutions on the future of the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant. "We are talking about several problems here: closure of the plant, financing that closure, the search for alternative sources of energy, social displacements and many others. It is linked with the revision of Lithuania's national energy strategy," Valionis said. He added that it was agreed to renew soon a joint Lithuanian-EU working group on energy issues, whose first findings will be discussed during the upcoming visit of European Commissioner Gunter Verheugen planned for next month. The Lithuanian Foreign Minister summed up progress achieved in negotiations by warning that the number of chapters closed could be misleading. "In this arithmetic, one does not equal one. It is not only important how many chapters we have closed, but also which ones. And which issues remain in the negotiations. And the very hardest ones remain. The slope towards the purpose becomes steeper," Valionis explained. Valionis described the formation of new government coalitions, which is now taking place in Lithuania, as a part of life in a democratic state, where 'anything and everything can and should be discussed. 'However, our national interests, including European Union membership, have long been agreed upon and clearly defined. Our course toward Europe will not change,' he said.