VZCZCXRO3552
RR RUEHAST
DE RUEHVL #0573 1701348
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 191348Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY VILNIUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0296
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 0054

UNCLAS VILNIUS 000573 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/NB 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL LH TU
SUBJECT: LITHUANIAN PRESIDENT:  EU INCOMPLETE WITHOUT TURKEY 
 
REF: VILNIUS 522 
 
¶1. (SBU) President Adamkus argued for the eventual accession 
of Turkey to the European Union in a June 17 interview with 
Turkish newspaper Miliyet, according to the Lithuanian press. 
 Adamkus plans to make an official visit to Turkey later this 
week, where he will meet President Sezer, PM Erdogan, and 
Turkish chief negotiator for EU accession, Ali Babacan.  On 
June 16, in the Council of Europe summit, Adamkus argued more 
generally for an "open doors" policy in EU accession. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Tomas Gulbinas, head of the MFA's Common Foreign 
Policy Division, told us June 6 that Adamkus had been 
planning this statement for a while (reftel) and that 
Lithuania had coordinated in advance with its Baltic 
neighbors and Poland to arrive at a common position that "no 
artificial obstacles should be created for countries striving 
for accession."  Adamkus's foreign policy advisor Simonas 
Satunas told CDA June 19 that the statement was intended to 
smooth the way for the President's upcoming visit, hastening 
to add that the GOL did not want any special favors for 
Turkey during the accession process, either.  He noted that 
Turkey's recent performance in the meeting its commitments to 
the EU "disappointing." 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  Turkish CDA Kemal Kaygisiz told us June 19 that 
Adamkus's statement was "positive," but added that Ankara 
would like the GOL to speak up more forcefully in EU meetings 
like the June 16 Council summit on Turkey's behalf.  He said 
that Adamkus would hear this message from his hosts later 
this week. 
 
¶4. (SBU) The principle of "open doors" for all countries 
meeting the EU's membership criteria is the cornerstone of 
Lithuania's neighborhood policy.  Lithuania sees itself as a 
leading advocate within the EU for expansion.  Although 
Lithuania's primary focus for enlargement is Ukraine, Georgia 
and Moldova, the Lithuanian government supports the accession 
of Turkey to the EU as a natural consequence of the "open 
doors" principle.  Lithuanian society does not necessarily 
share the political class's enthusiasm for this policy; an 
April 27 opinion poll found that barely a third of all 
Lithuanians think that the EU should expand to include all 
Central and Eastern Europe, Turkey and the Caucasus in the 
coming decade.  (Note:  Turkey currently has 80 air force 
servicemen and four F-16 fighters deployed to Lithuania as 
part of NATO's air-policing operation.  These forces will 
remain here until July 2006.) 
MULL