REGIONAL PECULIARITIES OF DEVELOPMENT OF LITHUANIAN SME

All over the world the growing evidence that small and medium enterprises play an important role in the national economic development of any country could be observed. Small and medium enterprises provide the majority of new jobs and produce much of the creativity and innovation which fuels economic growth and at the same time is the principal condition of regional development. As the level of small and medium business development is the determinant of economic development of a region, the analysis of small and medium enterprises development peculiarities in regions is a quite useful tool to demonstrate the economic situation in country’s regions. The analysis show, that focusing sustainable development the main problem exists in towering regional disparities of small and medium business development in Lithuanian regions. Nevertheless regional differences should gradually tone down because of EU structural funds and national regional development programs that are targeted to minimize regional disparities