On Thursday the Lithuanian parliament ratified Bulgaria and Romania’s EU accession treaty. Eighty-five MPs voted in favour and one voted against.

In this manner the parliamentary procedure ended. According to law president Valdas Adamkus has to approve the treaty before the ratification becomes fact, the Bulgarian National Radio reported.

Lithuania is the 15th country to complete the ratification procedure. So far the accession treaty was ratified in Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Cyprus, Greece, Estonia, the Czech Republic, Spain, Italy, Malta, Latvia, the Netherlands, the UK and Portugal.

The ratification procedure will begin in Germany next week, Deputy Foreign Minister Liubomir Kiuchukov learned during a visit to the country.

German officials said Bulgaria would likely join the EU on-time. Earlier German officials said they would likely wait for the final European Commission report on Bulgaria’s reform progress before the ratification begins.