立陶宛维尔纽斯——如果说还有人有充分的理由想加入欧元区，那就是在布满积雪的立陶宛首都，裹得严严实实躲避严寒的民众。
由于卢布贬值和经济制裁，俄罗斯几乎已经无法再充当立陶宛乳制品及其他商品的市场。俄罗斯最近派军用飞机到波罗的海上空巡逻，立陶宛人认为这是在威胁他们。尽管立陶宛的经济增长仍然远高于欧元区的平均水平，但是也受到了冲击。
立陶宛将于周四正式启用欧元，但欧元无法解决所有问题。但分析人士及政治领导人表示，它能促进商贸，消除兑换货币的成本，有助于在西方开拓新市场。
新货币或许还能带来更多地缘政治的安全保障。俄罗斯总统弗拉基米尔·V·普京(Vladimir V. Putin)可能会更加谨慎，不愿惹恼这个既是欧洲联盟(European unio)、北约(NATO)成员，又属于欧元区的国家。
立陶宛前总统瓦尔达斯·阿达姆库斯(Valdas Adamkus)表示，欧元还能使这个国家在与俄罗斯进行商业谈判时，拥有更多自由。阿达姆库斯于2009年卸任，执政时间接近10年。
“我们不需要再承担使用弱势货币的小国所面临的那种压力了，”阿达姆库斯说。“现在，我们是欧元区成员国了。”
尚不清楚这些观点是否有助于在其他尚未加入欧元区的东欧国家，为欧元赢得更多支持。这些国家中包括波兰，该国增长相对较快的经济将会给欧元区注入急需的活力。波兰领导人顺从公众的意见，并不急于签约。目前，希腊的政治动荡正在扰乱金融市场，欧元区的声誉可能会因此进一步受损。
尽管在欧盟的28个成员国当中，大多数都应当使用欧元，但至少在未来数年中，预计不会再有其他国家加入欧元区。
即使在立陶宛，人们对成为欧元区第19个成员国的热情也不是很高。最近的民意调查显示，多数人赞成使用欧元，而今年9月的民调还曾显示，多数立陶宛人反对加入欧元区。许多立陶宛人认为，“我们正在加入一个江河日下的组织，”英语新闻网站《立陶宛论坛》(The Lithuania Tribune)支持欧元的总编鲁斯拉纳斯·伊尔日克维秋斯(Ruslanas Irzikevicius)说。“我们正在加入一个江河日下的组织，欧元区的问题将影响到立陶宛的未来。”
调查显示，支持使用欧元的立陶宛人认为，这将给旅行和商贸带来便利。（中国进出口网）
VILNIUS, Lithuania — If anyone still has good reasons for joining the euro, it is the people bundled against the cold of this snow-dusted capital.
The plunge of the ruble and economic sanctions have all but destroyed Russia as a market for Lithuanian dairy products and other goods. Russia has been sending patrols of military aircraft over the Baltic Sea recently in what Lithuanians interpret as an attempt to intimidate them. Lithuanian growth, while still well above the eurozone average, has suffered.
The euro, which Lithuania will officially adopt Thursday, will not solve all those problems. But analysts and political leaders say it should grease commerce, eliminate money-changing costs and help develop new markets to the West.
The new currency may even provide an extra measure of geopolitical security. President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia may be more cautious in provoking a country that is a member not only of the European unio and NATO but also the eurozone.
The euro gives the country more freedom in negotiating business with Russia, said Valdas Adamkus, who was president of Lithuania for about a decade until 2009.
“We don't have to accept the pressure of being a small country with a little currency,” Adamkus said. “Now we are members of the eurozone.”
It remains to be seen whether such arguments will help the euro win more adherents in other eastern European countries that have yet to join, like Poland, whose relatively fast-growing economy would provide some badly needed dynamism to the currency bloc. In line with public opinion, Polish leaders are in no hurry to sign up. The eurozone's prestige could suffer further now that political turmoil in Greece is unsettling financial markets.
Although most of the European unio's 28 member countries are obliged to adopt the euro, no additional countries are expected to join the currency bloc for at least several years.
Even in Lithuania, enthusiasm about becoming the 19th country in the eurozone is not overwhelming. Recent polls show a majority in favor of adopting the euro, and as recently as September, polls showed most Lithuanians were against membership. Many Lithuanians believe that “we are joining the losing club,” said Ruslanas Irzikevicius, the pro-euro editor in chief of The Lithuania Tribune, an English-language news website. “We are joining the losing club and the problems in the eurozone will affect Lithuania's prospects.”
Lithuanians who are in favor of the euro equate it with easier travel and commerce, surveys show.
