Leaders of Spain, Lithuania say ratification of EU charter should go on

Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus stressed Tuesday the ratification of the European Union (EU) constitution should continue.

The two leaders defended the continuation of the endorsement and said all EU members should be able to express their will.

Adamkus arrived in Madrid on Monday for a three-day state visit.

Both Spain and Lithuania are pioneers in the ratification process of the document. Spaniards gave a big "yes" to the constitution in February, enabling their country to be the first to do so by referendum. Lithuania is among the first group of countries to give greenlight to the charter by parliament.

The constitution, designed to modernize the bloc's unwieldy institutions following entries of 10 new members last May, must receive unanimous ratification from all of its 25 members to become effective.

Ten countries -- Austria, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Germany -- have ratified the EU constitution. But France and the Netherlands rejected it.

Source: Xinhua