Modern Vilnius on the Right Bank of the Neris river
A year after admission to NATO, Lithuania is already playing an important role in this
defence organisation. The first ever meeting of 26 NATO foreign ministers outside Brussels
is scheduled to take place in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on April 20-21, 2005. It is
expected that attending the meeting there will be about 600 official delegates and about
500 journalists.
Foreign Minister,
Antanas Valionis
Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Antanas Valionis stated:
"For centuries Vilnius has
flourished as a significant centre of dialogue and cooperation. It is here in Vilnius
that NATO candidates signed a declaration of solidarity a few years ago.... It is
symbolic that Vilnius was chosen as a venue for the first ever informal ministerial
meeting in a new NATO member. We hope that the unique atmosphere of this multicultural
city will provide all conditions for open and constructive discussion."
One of the meeting venues will be Reval Hotel Lietuva, shown at left in the panorama of
modern Vilnius on the right bank of the Neris (courtesy Vilnius City Tourism Division).
Sources: www.omni.lt 22/3/05, www.vilniusnato2005.lt
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