Abstract
Accession to the European Union (EU), North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) membership and good neighbourly relations became the strategic priorities of Lithuania’s foreign policy soon after it re-established its independence on 11 March 1990.1 European and transatlantic integration gathered pace, and Lithuania with the other two Baltic states — Estonia and Latvia — negotiated a number of agreements with the EU, leading to the start of accession negotiations less than a decade after they were recognized as sovereign states. Lithuanian political leaders formally applied for EU membership in December 1995. Accession negotiations, which Lithuania started together with so-called second wave of candidate countries in 2000, were finalized at the end of 2002. After a referendum in 2003, which produced a clear majority for EU membership (91 per cent backed Lithuania’s EU accession on a turnout of 63 per cent), Lithuania joined the EU on 1 May 2004, having become a member of NATO on 29 March 2004.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
