(VILNIUS) - Lithuania's President Valdas Adamkus on Tuesday urged his Polish opposite number Lech Kaczynki not to block the EU's Lisbon Treaty, as ratification efforts in Warsaw remained deadlocked.

"I would definitely recommend him that Poland accept the treaty and put its signature on the final document," Adamkus reporters.

"To me, the EU is vital for the entire continent and I hope that Poland definitely is not going be an obstacle," he said.

The issue of how to ratify the European Union treaty, which is meant to streamline the operations of the 27-nation bloc, has sparked a bitter domestic spat in Poland between the country's liberal government and the eurosceptic opposition, led by Kaczynski's identical twin Jaroslaw Kaczynski.

All EU member states must formally approve the treaty in order for it to come into force by the target of next year.

Lithuania is aiming to ratify it in May.

In neighbouring Poland, the ratification process had been expected to go smoothly.

But the Kaczynski twins and their party, Law and Justice, have in recent days stepped up opposition to europhile Prime Minister Donald Tusk's ratification plans, even though the brothers helped negotiate the accord last year and at the time trumpeted it as a success for Poland.

Jaroslaw Kaczynski lost power to Tusk in a snap election last October whilst Lech Kaczynski's presidential term runs until 2010.

Law and Justice's votes are needed for ratification because Tusk's government lacks the required two-thirds majority.

The treaty is meant to replace the EU's draft constitution, rejected by French and Dutch voters in referenda in 2005.

Adamkus said it was no time for EU member states to get bogged down again.

"I hope that instead of dealing with institutional issues we will start building quality of life in Europe," he said.

Text and Picture Copyright 2008 AFP. All other Copyright 2008 EUbusiness Ltd. All rights reserved. This material is intended solely for personal use. Any other reproduction, publication or redistribution of this material without the written agreement of the copyright owner is strictly forbidden and any breach of copyright will be considered actionable.