The historic step

Lithuanians gave "Yes" to European Union entry in two-day referendum, early results showed, with nine out of 10 voters in favour of joining the wealthy bloc next year. The election committee said that with more than half of the votes counted in the two-day poll, 90 percent had voted in favour, much higher than the two-thirds suggested by the latest estimate. "I am really proud of the historic step the Lithuanian people has taken," Prime Minister Algirdas Brazauskas said.