News

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Antanas Valionis has welcomed the Nice Agreement, which was signed by the foreign ministers of the European Union (EU) member states on February 26. The document was adopted during the EU Summit in Nice last December and it has been edited for official signing up to now. Minister Valionis described the pact as the most recent part of the European Union history. According to Valionis, the Agreement is as important as the founding treaties of the EU, signed in Rome, Maastricht and Amsterdam. However, it is the Nice Agreement, which regulates the Union's functioning after new members are admitted. In Valionis words, the pact offers to Lithuania due representation in the organization's institutions. Upon joining the EU Lithuania would have seven votes in the European Council, the same number as Ireland, Denmark, Finland and Slovakia. Lithuania would also have 12 seats in the European Parliament. However, the Minister noted that the country's representation would greatly depend on Lithuania's ability to use the opportunities. The Nice Agreement is an important signal indicating that the EU enlargement is an issue on the nearest agenda, Valionis stressed. The Minister also noted that Lithuania's EU membership prospects would mostly depend on the progress made by Lithuania itself.