Talbott, Eizenstat to Visit the Baltic States
Washington -- The State Department announced July 1 that Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott and Under Secretary of State Stuart Eizenstat will visit the Baltic States of Latvia, Lithuania
and Estonia early in July as part of the United States's Northern Europe Initiative (NEI), announced earlier this year.
Talbott will attend the first session of the Partnership Commission July 7 in Vilnius, Lithuania, and will hold bilateral meetings in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. Eizenstat will travel to
Vilnius, Lithuania, to attend the Council of Baltic Sea States (CBSS) Trade Ministerial in Vilnius, July 9 and 10, which will focus on lowering of trade barriers and related issues with CBSS
counterparts, who represent countries throughout the region, including the Nordic states, Russia, the Baltic states, Poland, and Germany.
Following is the State Department text
(begin text)
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
July 1, 1998
Statement by James P. Rubin, Spokesman
Visit of Deputy Secretary Talbott to the Baltic States
Visit of Under Secretary Eizenstat to Vilnius
Deputy Secretary Strobe Talbott will lead the U.S. delegation to the first session of the Partnership Commission (created by the Baltic Charter, signed in January by the Presidents of Estonia,
Latvia, and Lithuania, and the United States). Talbott will depart July 6 for Vilnius, Lithuania, for bilateral meetings on July 7. He will continue to Riga, Latvia, for the meeting of the
Partnership Commission as well as bilateral meetings on July 8. Then he will travel to Tallinn, Estonia, for bilateral meetings on July 9.
The Partnership Commission's purpose is to implement the provisions of the Baltic Charter, including the integration of these states into European and transatlantic institutions. It will review
the results of bilateral working groups in economic and military affairs that have met since the signing of the Baltic Charter. It will also initiate a private sector program to promote the
U.S. commercial presence by incorporating insights from business leaders on how best to expand trade and investment in the Baltic Sea region.
Under Secretary for Economic Affairs Stuart Eizenstat will attend the Council of Baltic Sea States (CBSS) Trade Ministerial in Vilnius, July 9 and 10, which will focus on lowering of trade
barriers and related issues with CBSS counterparts, who represent countries throughout the region, including the Nordic states, Russia, the Baltic states, Poland, and Germany. Eizenstat will
also address bilateral issues with his Lithuanian hosts during his stay.
These two visits are a part of the United States's Northern Europe Initiative (NEI), announced earlier this year. The NEI promotes stronger ties among the Baltic states, Russia, the Nordic
states, Germany, and Poland with institutions that promote prosperity and peace in northern Europe.
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