The Governments of the United States, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania announced on September 23rd the start of operations of the Baltic-American Freedom Foundation. Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg, Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Audronius Ažubalis, and Latvian Foreign Minister Aivis Ronis were joined by Susan Reichle, Assistant to the Administrator for USAID's Bureau of Policy, Planning and Learning, in announcing the start of activities for this business- and research-focused non-profit foundation.
The Baltic-American Freedom Foundation is an independent entity, endowed by proceeds from a U.S. Government-initiated investment fund, the Baltic-American Enterprise Fund. The Baltic-American Freedom Foundation will strengthen ties between the people of the United States and the peoples of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia through programs that provide scholarships for graduate students from the Baltic States to study in the United States, for scholars from that region to undertake research, and for recent graduates to participate in internships in American companies.
The Baltic-American Freedom Foundation is an important sign of the lasting commitment of the United States to the independence, prosperity, and strength of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
For more information on the Baltic-American Freedom Foundation, please visit
http://www.balticamericanfreed....
(U.S. Department of State press release)
