VILNIUS, January 12 (Itar-Tass) — Transition to the euro remains Lithuania’s strategic goal, the Prime Minister of the Baltic state, Andrius Kubilius, said in an interview with the Vilnius-based Russian-language weekly Express Nedelya on Thursday.
He called for drawing a line between two problems – the living within one’s own means and transition to the euro. Nevertheless, the prime minister said both tasks are strategic for the country.
“The Maastricht criteria (the euro convergence criteria) are very good for every country, because when you follow them, you live within your own means without putting your hand into somebody else’s pocket,” Kubilius said. “And the next, most probably technological issue is whether you, living by these criteria, introduce a common currency or not.”
Kubilius admitted that “right now” Lithuania is not ready to answer this question.
“Nevertheless, the year of 2014 remains our strategic goal, but, of course, we would like the situation in the eurozone to stabilize by this date,” he said.
In one of her first interviews this year Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite doubted reality of the plan to join the euro by 2014.
“Over difficulties that the eurozone is now facing it will take two-three years to resolve all accumulated problems,” she said.