Brussels, 12/05/2003 (Agence Europe) - An massive majority of almost 91% of Lithuanians voted in favour of their country's accession to the EU, at the accession referendum which took place on 10 and 11 May. Only 9% of those who took part in the referendum voted against. As turn-out was over 50%, the result of the vote is mandatory for the Lithuanian Parliament, which will now have to ratify the Accession Treaty, allowing its country to join the EU on 1 May 2004. "I am really very proud of the historic step the Lithuanian people has taken", declared Prime Minister Algirdas Brazauskas. President Rolandas Paksas announced that the day of accession, 1 May 2004, would be celebrated in the same way as the day of Lithuanian independence, in 1991.
After Malta, Slovenia, and Hungary, Lithuania has become the fourth accession country to pass the referendum stage successfully. The very clear-cut result of the ballot should lend momentum to the campaigns in the two other Baltic states, Estonia and Latvia, whose referendums will take place on 14 and 20 September respectively. The next referendum is to take place in Slovakia (16 and 17 May), followed by Poland (7 and 8 June), and the Czech Republic (13 and 14 June).
European Commission President, Romano Prodi, welcomed the "historic choice" of the Lithuanians. The very clear result of the vote will "reinforce the legitimacy" of the country's accession and its presence in the Community institutions, he said. "As a result, there will be a strong voice for Lithuania inside the EU. This will be good for Lithuania, and I am convinced it will also be good for the EU". The Commissioner for Enlargement, Günter Verheugen, said that the massive "yes" vote to entry to the EU does indeed represent the people's approval of the sum total of foreign policy for the last ten years, which has always focused on European integration.