Kitt holds talks on EU Enlargement with Visiting Lithuanian Minister

Mr. Tom Kitt, T.D., Minister for Labour, Trade and Consumer Affairs met today (Tuesday 19th September 2000) with Mr. Vygaudas Ušackas, Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs and Chief Negotiator for Lithuania’s Accession to the European Union.

This meetinh forms part of a series of high level contacts, which are taking place between Ireland and the twelve countries currently in accession negotiations with the European Union. The current accession process was launched by the 15 EU Member States, the ten Central and Eastern European States and Cyprus on 30 March, 1998.

“With Enlargement the European market will be increased by over 100 million consumers. This should bring greater prosperity for all, new and older members alike”, the Minister of State said.

Ireland is satisfied with the progress in negotiations to-date and looks forward to welcoming the new Member States into the EU when they have satisfactorily completed their negotiations and have demonstrated their ability to assume the obligations of memberships.

Minister Kitt, who attended the EU Foreign Ministers meeting in Brussels yesterday, updated his Lithuanian colleague on those discussions which dealt with, among other things, enlargement, the role of the Commission and other issues in advance of the next Inter Governmental Conference.

While in Ireland, the Lithuanian Chief Negotiator will meet with the Chairmen of the Joint Committee on European Affairs, Mr. Bernard Durkan, T.D., representatives of the IDA, IBEC, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, Teagasc and officials of government departments directly involved in the enlargement negotiations.