Lithuania is determined to become an EU member. Thus, it is necessary for every official to get acquainted with the legislation and agreements of the EU. Issues of European integration are discussed and analysed in the Parliament and Government, however this kind of information is inaccessible to average officials. 
Thus, to improve this situation and to make the information about EU accessible, the Distance Education Center was established at Kaunas University of Technology three years ago. It is one of the best in Europe according to the opinion of PHARE authorities. Distance education courses for the officials of public institutions, named "Euroli", which are dedicated to the EU, its history, institutions and policy, have been recently organised in this center. It was an exellent opportunity for Kaunas City officials to extend knowledge on the EU. 
"We have established modules of distance education "European legislation and institutions" with the support of the European education fund by way of a PHARE project", says the Director of this Center who ascertains that this education is especially important to jurists, lawyers and attorneys working in Municipalities and Ministries. Educational material of the modules will be presented not only to the officials of public institutions, but also to the directors and managers of private companies, beginning in September. New modules "Computer Science -2", "European Legislation in the Sphere of Trade and Business" and "Environment Pollution", will be presented next year. 
Citizens may receive more information about the EU by way of videoconferences organised in the Computer Center of Kaunas University of Technology. Videoconferences are the most expensive, but they help to achieve the best visual interactivity. The distance education Center in Kaunas is included in the World Bank database and is the only one in Lithuania.

Russia appears to be the largest neighbour of the EU. Traditionally, one of the main directions of EU countries' co-operation in the BSR with St. Petersburg and Russian NW regions consists in promoting market infrastructure being adjusted to European standards. This co-operation mostly developed as direct technical help for infrastructure development and ecological programs under the framework of the EU's TACIS programme.

be approved by all the EU states. 2. The EU and Russia shall confirm that these programs are mainly focused on co-operation with the NW and N regions of Russia. 3. Obstacles shall be removed and free trade principle in the Northern regions of Europe will be supported, irrespective of their participation in economic unions. 4. The programs shall not regard Russia as a raw appendage of Europe or as one of its regions. 5. The programs shall in the first 

Having gained relevant experience from TACIS project development since 1991, and also with the purpose of increasing projects efficiency due to the new rules, St. Petersburg offered the following. For the INTERREG and TACIS co-ordination, the city proposed to create a joint Committee consisting of Finnish and Swedish regional representatives participating in the INTERREG program on one hand, and regions of Russian Federation participating in the TACIS CBC. It was also proposed to give the regions sitting on the Committee the right of direct TACIS CBC projects selection. 
It is expedient for St. Petersburg Administration to participate in the EU relations and development programs in the BSR, i. e.: "Northern Dimension of the EU", advanced by the Finnish Government, and "Russia part of Europe", advanced by the Swedish Government. 
The offered programs could become the priority ones in the co-operation development between Russia and the EU under the such conditions. 1. The programs shall

place take into consideration interests of the developing processing and high-tech branches of the NW Russia in accordance with the economics of the whole northern region of Europe. 6. Most important projects for the whole region remain in the environmental protection sphere. 7. Environmental protection technologies prepared by all project parties shall be used. It shall be taken into account that the Russian organisations and institutes do not always possess experience of advanced technologies market. 8. Financing schems for concrete projects and programmes should avoid a significant increasing of credit debts of Russia. 
It is expedient to associate the political and address making programs of  "Northern Dimension of EU" and "Russia -part of Europe".