To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if Her Majesty's Government recognise the declaration of political independence by the new Parliament of Lithuania.

The well-established criteria which we have applied to the recognition of a state are that it should have, and seem likely to continue to have, a clearly defined territory with a population, a Government who are able of themselves to exercise control of that territory, and independence in their external relations. We will therefore continue to watch the situation closely as it develops.