Lithuania says ‘yes’ to EU
The Lithuanian public this weekend voted in favour of joining the European Union.
Lithuania is the fourth of the 10 accession countries that signed up for EU membership last month to hold a successful referendum.
Malta, Slovenia and Hungary have also voted in favour of joining the EU next May, when the Accession Treaty will be ratified.
EU officials have welcomed the result of the two-day vote, with European Commission president, Romano Prodi, reportedly offering his “sincere and heartfelt congratulations”.
In order for the referendum to be valid a 50% voter turnout was required, but nearly two-thirds of the eligible population had used their votes, after a slow start on Saturday.
The move to join the EU has gained cross-party support in Lithuania, with the country’s leader, President Paksas welcoming the decision last night.
Like many of the accession countries, Lithuania is a former communist country, which split from the Soviet Union back in 1991.
Slovakia will be the next country to hold a referendum later this month, closely followed by Poland at the beginning of June.
