Red colored EU passports worry Lithuanian politicians
{{date|January  4, 2006}}

[[Image:USSR pass.jpg|thumb|right|A Soviet Union passport]]
[[Image:UK-Passport-Cover.jpg|thumb|right|A United Kingdom passport]]
The old European Union countries have asked the US to put back its biometric passport deadline for another year, as biometric data inclusion issues still needed to be resolved. 

In the meantime, the new eastern EU countries are more preoccupied with less sophisticated issues relating to passports, namely the uniform colour required for all EU states.

In former USSR states such as the Baltic state of [[w:Lithuania|Lithuania]] this new Burgundy-colored document may remind many of the Soviet-era dark red passports.

Mr P. Austrevicius, former Chief Negotiator of the Lithuania - EU Entrance Team said to Lithuania's newspaper [http://www.atgimimas.lt Atgimimas]: “If we decline Europe's unifying stuff, such as a common passport, how else can we join Europe? I don't see any association with the Soviet Union”

But according to journalist Indrė Makaraitytė, [http://www.delfi.lt/news/daily/comments/article.php?id=8417262(Atgimimas)] an unnamed diplomat stated: “We already have had a red colored passport and it can be a sensitive case in our society. We should take this into account".

== Sources ==
*{{source|url=http://www.delfi.lt/news/daily/comments/article.php?id=8417262(Atgimimas)
|title=Atgal į raudonojo paso laikus
|author=
|pub=Delfi.lt
|date=January 2006}}

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[[Category:United States]]
[[Category:North America]]
[[Category:Europe]]
[[Category:European Union]]
[[Category:Soviet Union]]
[[Category:Lithuania]]
[[Category:Politics and conflicts]]
A Soviet Union passport
A United Kingdom passport
The old European Union countries have asked the US to put back its biometric passport deadline for another year, as biometric data inclusion issues still needed to be resolved. 

In the meantime, the new eastern EU countries are more preoccupied with less sophisticated issues relating to passports, namely the uniform colour required for all EU states.

In former USSR states such as the Baltic state of Lithuania this new Burgundy-colored document may remind many of the Soviet-era dark red passports.

Mr P. Austrevicius, former Chief Negotiator of the Lithuania - EU Entrance Team said to Lithuania's newspaper  Atgimimas: “If we decline Europe's unifying stuff, such as a common passport, how else can we join Europe? I don't see any association with the Soviet Union”

But according to journalist Indrė Makaraitytė,  an unnamed diplomat stated: “We already have had a red colored passport and it can be a sensitive case in our society. We should take this into account".
United States North America Europe European Union Soviet Union Lithuania Politics and conflicts