Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus has said speaking at the EU summit in Nice that new members will only make the union stronger.

The applicant countries have already contributed to the future of a more stable and more prosperous European Union. They advance domestic reforms and improve their economic performance and well being, Lithuanian president said, speaking at the EU summit on Thursday. The president said that we have approached a point of no return in terms of future institutional design of the Union and, ultimately, its future membership. Adamkus said that it was of vital importance to ensure that the institutional solutions, which will emerge in this Summit, would reinforce the enlargement. "I share the optimist '9s view that, despite natural efforts to safeguard the national interests in the reformed institutions, the overall goal of further development will prevail, the Lithuanian president said. He reiterated that Lithuania's determination to make a considerable progress in the EU membership talks and added that his country would spare no effort to get ready for the EU membership by 1st January 2004. Lithuania began negotiations on 16 chapters of the Europe agreement this year.