23/05/2006 (Agence Europe) - Failing to join the Euro zone in 2007 (EUROPE 9193), Lithuania is now aiming to join in 2009. The new date announced on 22 May by Vilnius was warmly welcomed by the European Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs. In a backdrop to the annual OECD ministerial meeting, Joaquin Almunia said on Tuesday in Paris that this deadline was “realistic”. Last week the Commission rejected Lithuania's candidacy because of its inflation rate not respecting convergence criteria and that in the long term price levels risked going up (EUROPE 9193). According to Reuters Almunia underlined the fact that inflation was “the price to pay for the success of the Lithuanian economy”.