Embassy Vilnius identified as important objectives the promotion of Lithuania?s integration into European security, political, and economic institutions and the further development of democracy and a market economy in Lithuania. After centuries of foreign domination, Lithuania experienced only a short period of independence between the World Wars, then regained it in 1991, with the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Embassy leadership uses public diplomacy extensively to promote U.S. policy and interests. Washington analysts praise the embassy?s reporting for its intellectual honesty and analytic insight. In the area of military cooperation, the United States supports Lithuania?s efforts to join NATO. A steady stream of senior U.S. military visitors engage with their Lithuanian counterparts, and the defense attach? office drafts some of the embassy?s best reporting. Based on future workload, the embassy thinks it can make a good case for additional political, consular, military, public diplomacy, administrative, and security staff. If and when Lithuania joins NATO and the EU, current staffing will be unable to cope with the added political, military and economic requirements.
The embassy?s current facilities limit expansion. Security, safety, and working considerations argue for action on real property improvements, as recommended in this and a previous report. The embassy now has a plan that would consolidate all embassy operations around the present chancery. A scheduled visit by a Department space utilization and design team will help in developing the embassy?s proposal.
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