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Lithuania's advice

The Lithuanian ambassador is urging colleagues in Ukraine to follow the example of his country, as Ukraine struggles against corruption and economic weakness in pursuit of its goal of joining the European Union.

The "big lesson we learned is that integration [into Europe] begins at home," Ambassador Vygaudas Usackas said at a recent forum on Ukraine's transition to a stable democracy.

Fourteen years after Lithuania declared independence from the Soviet Union, the Baltic nation has achieved democracy, a free-market economy and membership in the European Union and NATO.

The country's "strategic vulnerability" caused by proximity to Russia served as a "major motivation for rigid, comprehensive and consistent reforms," Mr. Usackas said.

"However close to the defined goals we felt, we have never taken things for granted and never accepted complacency as the way to move forward," he said.

Ukraine continues to stumble on its path toward democracy, as it holds regular elections that sometimes are criticized by international observers. President Leonid Kuchma was elected in 1994 in what was considered a free and fair vote. However, monitors criticized his 1999 re-election campaign, although they did not question his victory.

Monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe concluded that the 2002 parliamentary elections were flawed.

The government's human rights record remains poor, according to the State Department.

Economically, Ukraine is still recovering from a decline in the 1990s that saw the standard of living of most of its citizens fall more than 50 percent.