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Lithuanian Foreign Minister Antanas Valionis took part in the session of the General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) of the European Union (EU) on 23 February in Brussels. Over the general affairs sitting, President of the European Commission Romano Prodi briefed the foreign ministers on the Communication „Building our common future. Policy challenges and budgetary means of the enlarged Union 2007-2013“ [COM(2004) 101] and discussed preparation for the European Council scheduled in late March to discuss the issues of European economic development. Minister Antanas Valionis emphasised that the new long-term EU budget would be especially important in the enlarged EU. According to the Minister, it has to serve the Union’s citizens, including Lithuanian ones. In Minister Valionis’ opinion, the new long-term budget should reflect such Lithuanian priorities as approximation of the economy to the EU level, border protection, including cross-border cooperation and fight against organised crime, also external relations with neighbours and further implementation of commitments related to the Kaliningrad Region and financing the closure of the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant as stipulated in the Treaty on Accession to the EU. The Minister called on the European Council to stress the importance of energy for the enlarged EU in the conclusions of the Summit. Antanas Valionis and concurred with the ministers of other acceding states who raised doubts whether the proposed restrictions on free movement of labour from mew members of the bloc would not contradict the principles of the Lisbon Strategy on liberalisation of labour market. During the external relations sitting, foreign ministers allotted substantial attention to EU-Russia relations. Minister Valionis noted that in EU relations with Russia Lithuania welcomed the principle of reciprocity, need for clearly defined interests and priorities, common stance, ability to speak with one voice and readiness to make linkages. According to the Minister, it is very important that EU-Russia Cooperation and Partnership Agreement should be extended to the acceding states from the start of their EU membership. “EU enlargement will open up vast opportunities for cooperation with the new member states of the EU, therefore Russia should be interested in making use of them,” Minister Valionis stated. The Minister also drew his colleagues’ attention to the issues of environmental protection of the Baltic Sea area, social and economic development of the Kaliningrad Region, which should be included into the agenda of EU – Russia relations as the most topical issues. On the same day, Foreign Minister Antanas Valionis met with Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer in NATO Headquarters in Brussels to discuss practical matters of Lithuania’s accession to the Alliance, integration into NATO’s air defence system and the Secretary General’s visit to Lithuania scheduled in 12 March 2004. Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer agreed with the idea that NATO should make use of Lithuania’s experience in dealing with the Eastern partners. The start of full-fledged membership of seven new states joining the Alliance is to be marked at the meeting of NATO foreign ministers on 2 April.