WASHINGTON-DC - Maria Kivisild Ogrydziak, Chairman of the U.S.- Baltic Foundation (USBF) announced today that Estonian Composer Arvo Pärt will receive the Baltic Image Enhancement Award at the 2010 U.S.-Baltic Gala.

The 2010 U.S.- Baltic Gala to be held on Saturday, May 8th at the Renaissance Mayflower Hotel, 1127 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC. Lithuanian Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius will be the Guest of Honor and receive USBF's Baltic Statesmanship Award. The U.S.- Baltic Foundation (USBF), the 2010 gala weekend will feature a VIP reception hosted by the Embassy of Denmark on Friday evening, silent auction and black-tie gala dinner to highlight the special and growing ties between the U.S. and the Baltic States.

At the gala dinner, the Foundation honors political, cultural and business leaders who have contributed to the development of the Baltic region, and promoted stronger transatlantic relations. The Foundation is honoring Mr. Pärt for his outstanding contributions in promoting Estonian culture. Attending the gala to accept the award will be Michael Pärt, Managing Director of "Arvo Pärt Archive", which seeks to establish the archive of the composer Arvo Pärt in Estonia.

Previous gala honorees and distinguished guests have included Estonian Presidents Toomas Hendrik Ilves and Lennart Meri, Latvian Presidents Valdis Zatlers and Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga, former Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus, former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, former National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski, philanthropist Winthrop Rockefeller and others.

The U.S.- Baltic Foundation is an educational resource for U.S. policy-makers and the public. A national organization that unites all American friends of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, USBF develops and implements programs to strengthen democracy and free markets in the Baltics. The Foundation also introduces the Baltics to new American audiences with a series of public affairs programs.

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