LITHUANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER PARTICIPATES IN OFFICIAL LITHUANIA’S ACCESSION TO NATO CEREMONY
Created 2004-04-02
On 2 April in Brussels, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Antanas Valionis participated in a solemn ceremony to mark the accession to NATO of Lithuania and the other six Central and South-eastern European countries, during which the flags of the new member states were raised at the Alliance’s Headquarters.
As Minister Valionis indicated at the informal meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers after the ceremony, raising of Lithuania’s flag marked one of the most remarkable moments in Lithuania’s history.
The Minister also welcomed the NATO decision to provide air defence capabilities and equal protection to the entire territory of the enlarged Alliance.
“As the Secretary General said: there are no second or third–rate Allies, there are just Allies. Rock – solid security guarantees are what my country needs, because they form the foundation of our future development,” Antanas Valionis underlined.
He also pointed out Lithuania’s commitment to contribute to the development of common security.
At the meeting in Brussels, the NATO Foreign Ministers discussed preparations to the upcoming NATO Summit to take place on 28-29 June in Istanbul as well as the common issues and topicalities urgent to the whole Alliance.
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