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On 18 November, having met with Lithuanian Foreign Minister Antanas Valionis in Brussels, Commissioner for External Relations of the European Union (EU) Christopher Patten thanked the minister for Lithuania’s constructive position before the EU-Russia Summit on the issue of the Kaliningrad Region and the transit to and from it. According to the Member of the European Commission, at the EU-Russia Summit Lithuania’s sovereignty and its right to control its borders were protected. Minister Valionis noted that the implementation of the political compromise, achieved during the Summit would depend upon concrete conditions, such as the legal and financial guarantees of Lithuania’s accession to Schengen, additional financial support for implementing the necessary transit measures and Russia’s cooperation in fulfilling its obligations to ratify the state border agreement, to conclude a readmission agreement, to allow expansion of consulates and to carry out other commitments. The minister also informed that in the nearest future a delegation for negotiations with Russia on the readmission agreement would be formed. EU Commissioner Patten confirmed that in negotiations with Russia he spoke in favour of ratification of the Lithuania-Russia state border agreements still before the introduction of facilitated transit documents and supported Lithuania’s position on the principle of reciprocity with regard to the conditions of Lithuanian citizens travel to Russia. The high official of the European Commission also spoke on the draft EU regulation to legitimate facilitated transit documents as part of the Schengen acquis in order to ensure that the solutions proposed to Lithuania should not prevent it from joining the Schengen Area. According to Commissioner Patten, at the session of the EU General Affairs & External Relations Council on 18 November, he urged the EU member states to maintain pressure on Russia through their bilateral relations so that it should perform its commitments on Kaliningrad and the transit. The foreign minister and EU commissioner agreed that technical consultations were necessary in short order on the implementation of the measures proposed by the joint EU-Russia Statement concerning the Kaliningrad Region and the transit.