Brussels, 13/05/2008 (Agence Europe) - Lithuania has removed its reservations on the launch of negotiations with Moscow on a new partnership agreement, following a meeting in Vilnius on Sunday 11 May of Lithuanian Foreign Minister Petras Vaitiekunas and his counterparts from Slovenia, Dimitrej Rupel (the current President of the Council of the EU), Sweden, Carl Bildt, and Poland, Radoslaw Sikorski. Lithuania was calling for the European Commission's negotiating mandate (which must be unanimously approved by Council) to include also the issues of the suspension by Russia of oil supplies through the Druzhba pipeline in 2006, the lack of cooperation from Moscow in several criminal cases involving Lithuanian citizens and Russian actions in Abkhazia and South Ossetia (see EUROPE 9650 and 9654). “Agreement in principle was reached today on Lithuania's proposals,” and these would be “reflected” in the Commission's negotiating brief, Rupel said after the meeting. “Lithuania's vital interests were taken into account, and we can all be happy,” he went on. No details were given of the exact content of the text. The Lithuanian foreign minister said simply that “the success of negotiations with Moscow will directly depend on supplies being resumed through the Druzhba oil pipeline”. It is very likely that the negotiating mandate will be formally approved by the EU at the next General Affairs Council on 26 May, and that talks on the agreement will be officially launched at the EU-Russia summit to be held in Siberia on 26-27 June. (H.B.)