Mark Phillips
International Cooperation Specialist
Tel: 202-712-0044
Email: mphillips@usaid.gov |
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Overview
The primary goal of the United States is for Lithuania to play a positive and stabilizing role in an integrated Europe and to participate fully in regional political, economic and security structures. The Enhanced Partnership in Northern Europe (EPINE), which includes the Baltic countries, has three main goals: (1) enhancing political security, which includes working with NATO to develop capabilities and combating terrorism and weapons of mass destruction; (2) promoting healthy societies and healthy neighbors focuses on problems such as disease, trafficking in persons, corruption and environment that threaten national and regional stability; and (3) promoting vibrant economies helps create bridges between U.S. businesses and businesses in the Nordic-Baltic region that foster entrepreneurship. Lithuania joined both the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the European Union (EU) in 2004.
Between 1991 and 2000, USAID delivered $90 million to support Lithuania in its transition from communism to a market-oriented democracy. Aid from the American people focused on fiscal policy reform, banking, small and medium enterprise development, energy safety and policy reform, environmental protection, and democratic reform. Although the USAID Mission in Vilnius closed its doors in 2000, the legacy of USAID development assistance has endured.
Celebrating the Lithuanian-American Partnership 1992-2000
Introduction
As the Berlin Wall began to crumble in 1989, the United States Congress passed the Support for East European Democracy (SEED) Act. The Act was designed to contribute to the development of democratic institutions and political pluralism, and a free market economic system in Central and Eastern Europe. In the political realm, SEED was to support the transition to democratic society, which recognized fundamental human rights and civil liberties. In the economic realm, SEED was to promote free market economies within the region. The country-specific assistance strategies varied in focus but were built on common, region-wide strategic goals: economic restructuring, democratic transition, and social stabilization.
Lithuania's historic revolution in 1990 captured worldwide attention and inspired people everywhere. To support this revolution, the U.S. Government mobilized SEED resources to assist Lithuania's transition to a democratic society and market-oriented economy. Today, the people of Lithuania and the United States are partners in building Lithuania's free-market economy and developing a democratic society prepared to meet the challenges of the 21st centuty.
This transition, however, has not been easy. Serious obstacles challenged Lithuania's desires to move to a matket economy and re-establish a democtatic form of government. With independence, Lithuania had to address issues ranging from creating ministries and governmental machinery to re-establishing the rule to law to privarizing stare-owned enterprises. The new Government needed to focus on nuclear energy safety and reduce the effects of years of pollution and disregard for environmental health. It had to develop a multiple party system and set up a participatory democracy.
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