News

On May 3, the Lithuanian-Czech round table discussions on security and defence issues were held in Prague for the fourth time. Deputy Lithuanian Foreign Minister, Chief NATO membership coordinator Giedrius Čekuolis headed the Lithuanian delegation, while Deputy Czech Defence Minister Jaromir Novotny and Deputy Foreign Minister Hynek Kmonychek headed the Czech delegation. The Czech officials informed the Lithuanian side on the discussion held in the Czech Republic and other NATO countries on further Alliance enlargement, while Čekuolis informed on the process of Lithuanian NATO membership preparation. Both sides exchanged opinions on the legal NATO membership preparation aspects, discussed pressing issues of European security and defence policy. The situation in the Balkans, the urgent issues of Russian internal and foreign policy were also discussed. Čekuolis also had a meeting in Prague with the head of the Czech delegation at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Jiri Payne. In the meeting, Čekuolis informed Payne on Lithuanian NATO membership preparation and asked for political support of the Czech MPs to the Lithuanian aims of receiving an invitation to join the Alliance at the NATO summit meeting in Prague in 2002. The Lithuanian delegation has also presented its initial remarks to the draft Report of the Political Committee of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. The head of the Czech delegation has promised to take these remarks into account.