Visiting Lithuanian Prime Minister Gediminas Kirkilas said in Warsaw on Saturday that Lithuania supports Polish opposition to the launch of negotiations of a new partnership and cooperation agreement between the EU and Russia.

Kirkilas made the remarks at a joint press conference after meeting with his Polish counterpart Jaroslaw Kaczynski.

It is important that Russia should behave like a partner in the relationship with the EU, just as its EU partners do, Kirkilas said.

Kaczynski expressed his thanks to Lithuania for supporting the Polish veto on EU-Russia negotiations, describing the relations between Lithuania and Poland as "really model ones."

The current agreement on partnership and cooperation between Russia and the EU will expire in October, 2007. The launch of negotiations on a new one has to be approved by all EU member states first.

Poland has refused to hold any talks until Russia lifts import bans on Polish meat and vegetables.

Source: Xinhua