On September 7, the British Association for Central and Eastern Europe, in co-operation with the Lithuanian Free Market Institute, held a British-Lithuanian round table in Vilnius. The purpose of the event was to strengthen the intellectual dialogue between British and Lithuanian leaders.

The British participants comprised politicians, academics, journalists, and NGO representatives, including HM Ambassador Christopher Robbins, The RT Hon Giles Radice MP, The Rt Hon David Curry MP, Prof John Roper and Dr Judy Batt of the University of Birmingham, Quentin Peel from the Financial Times, Dr Julie Smith of the Royal Institute of International Affairs, and Sir John Birch, Director of the British Association for Central and Eastern Europe. Lithuania was represented by HM Ambassador Justas Paleckis, Audronius Ažubalis MP, former Prime Minister Aleksandras Abišala, Director of the European Committee Petras Auštrevičius, Director of the Integration Strategy Department under the European Committee Klaudijus Maniokas, Algirdas Gricius, Head of the European Integration Studies Centre, Kęstutis Girnius from the Radio of Europe, Artūras Račas from the Lithuanian Television, and others.

The discussion centred on the economic, political and security aspects of European integration, the role of Russia in the next century, and the Balkan crisis. Specifically, the participants discussed the differences between the British and Baltic perceptions of a common European future and the costs and implications of enlargement. Special attention was paid to security guarantees offered by NATO membership, security relationships with the Baltic States, and the specifics of the Western approach to Russia.

The first Round Table discussion took place in March 1998 in London. It gathered politicians, journalists, academics, NGOs and business people from Great Britain and the three Baltic States. This year the British Association for Central and Eastern Europe held separate seminars in each country.