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On May 15-16 in Brussels, a session of the European Convention took place discussing the reform of EU institutions, the future of the EU Common Foreign and Security Policy and the EU Common Defence Policy. The session was attended by Government Representative of the Republic of Lithuania at the European Convention Rytis Martikonis as well as Parliamentary Representatives: Chairman of the Lithuanian Parliament (Seimas) Committee on European Affairs Vytenis Povilas Andriukaitis together with MPs Algis Gricius and Eugenijus Maldeikis. "By voting in the referendum on 10-11 May, sending a powerful political signal a few days ago, Lithuanian citizens endorsed the Accession Treaty and, at the same time, the present institutional architecture of the EU," Undersecretary of the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry and Representative of the Republic of Lithuania at the European Convention Rytis Martikonis observed. Commenting on the proposals vis-à-vis the EU institutional reform, Representative of the Lithuanian Government at the Convention Martikonis underscored that the EU reform must be gradual and acceptable to all members: both small and large, old and new. "The principles we uphold remain unchanged: the Community method, equality of Member States and institutional balance in the EU," Undersecretary Martikonis maintains. This position was confirmed both by the joint document of 16 "smaller" states published in March and by the joint amendments to the future Constitutional Treaty institutional articles submitted by the Representatives from nine Governments. These amendments retain the rotation of the EU Presidency, which is one of the most important symbols of equality of member states. "We believe that the advantages of rotation outweigh its shortcomings," Undersecretary Martikonis said. "The discussion on institutions might be a discussion about big and small, might be about old and new, but first of all it is about achieving our common objective as well as about better understanding of our interests and expectations," Rytis Martikonis emphasised. According to the Undersecretary, one can already see a consensus emerging on some issues such as the election rules of the President of the European Commission or establishment of the position of the EU Representative for External Relations. "With only a month to go till the end of the Convention, during the short time left we have to scrutinise the scenarios of the institutional make-up submitted to the Convention," Undersecretary Martikonis noted. Regarding the EU Common Defence Policy, Representative of the Republic of Lithuania at the European Convention Rytis Martikonis, underscored that it should complement NATO, but not compete with it. "The proposed institutional and procedural amendments to the Common Foreign and Security Policy should become an incentive to the creation of a really common foreign policy. We believe that the modifications resulting from the creation of the post of EU Foreign Minister are the right steps towards more coherence and effectiveness," the Undersecretary stated at the Convention. He emphasised that it was necessary to recognise the ambition of a number of countries to go further and to have the possibility of closer cooperation, yet such co-operation must be governed by a clear set of agreed principles. "The institutionalisation of the EU common defence would not serve our interests if it led to duplication of NATO structures or military capabilities. In this context, an appropriate reference to coordination and cooperation with NATO would be needed in the Treaty articles under discussion," Rytis Martikonis stated.