News

January 16 marks three years since the Presidents of the US, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia signed the US-Baltic Partnership Charter in Washington. In signing the document on January 16, 1998, the four Presidents began a new era of cooperation between the US, Lithuania and the other two Baltic States. The Charter confirmed the common goal of all partners to work together and join forces for setting the stage for Lithuania’s, Latvia’s and Estonia's entry into European and trans-Atlantic political, economic and security institutions, including NATO. The US-Baltic Partnership Charter confirms the attention of the US to the Baltic region and expresses the vision of an indivisible and free Europe. The U.S. has repeatedly expressed support for the Baltic States' membership in NATO. Words said by the US President during the signing ceremony [that] "The door to NATO is and will remain open to every partner nation, and the US is determined to create the preconditions by which Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania will one day cross its threshold", confirmed the US interest regarding the integration of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania into European and trans-Atlantic structures. The Lithuanian Foreign Ministry believes that the US President-elect George W. Bush, who has expressed determination to work with allies in Europe to continue the enlargement process in 2002, will continue to back up Lithuania’s efforts to join the Alliance, ensure the continuity of US policy regarding Lithuania and other Baltic states, and strengthen and deepen the partnership. Over the three years since the signing of the Charter, the US and Lithuania have regularly held bilateral meetings on security and economic issues. One of the major aims of the security consultations is to strengthen the Lithuanian national defense system and prepare the country for NATO membership by creating modern and effective military forces in accordance with NATO standards. The US plans to allocate to Lithuania 9 million USD in 2001 for achieving this task. The Partnership Commission, called for in the Charter and led by the nations' foreign ministers, has become an important forum for consultations between the US and the Baltic States. The fourth annual meeting of the Partnership Commission is scheduled to be held in Vilnius this summer. In the spirit of the Partnership Charter, Lithuania will continue to prepare for NATO membership and to cooperate with the US, Poland, Baltic and other countries in the region, expanding friendly relations and encouraging mutually beneficial economic ties, thus assuring security and stability in the region.