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Ribbon-Cutting at New U.S. Embassy Consular Building

November 19, 2001

IMPORTANT NOTE TO MEDIA: For security purposes, journalists planning to attend MUST register in advance and bring passport or driver's license.

Contact:  Margarita Juzoniene, Media Section, email: margo@usembassy.lt,

Tel. 660-330.

Ribbon-Cutting at New U.S. Embassy Consular Building

November 19, 2001, Vilnius-- A Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony will be held at the U.S Embassy in Vilnius on Wednesday, November 21, 2001 at 14.00hrs (Akmenu 6) to celebrate the opening of the new consulate.  Honored guests from Lithuania, the project manager of construction and embassy employees are invited to watch as the U.S. Ambassador John F. Tefft ceremoniously cuts the ribbon, opening the doors to the newly constructed consulate building.

The construction of the consulate, a project valued at approximately 4 million litas (1 million USD) began in January 2001.  The new 240 square meter addition provides a more comfortable and spacious working area for clients and employees alike.

Background information on construction of the U.S. Embassy Consulate

The Bid Process

Following a competitive bid process in mid-November, 2000, "RE + RE", a Latvian construction company that had recently completed a construction project at the U.S. Embassy in Tallinn, was selected as the general contractor of the new consulate building at the U.S. embassy in Vilnius.  Of seven contractors participating in the bid, "RE + RE" provided the best plan for the best price.  A ground-breaking ceremony in January of this year marked the official beginning of construction, which lasted approximately eleven months.

"RE + RE" sub-contracted two Lithuanian companies to perform most of the work.   "EIKA" was responsible for constructing the building and implementing architectural plans, while "Ygle" performed the mechanical and plumbing work.

Benefits

The cost of the new addition was approximately $1 million, while the resulting benefits for clients and employees are numerous.  An additional 240 square meter facility now provides a more comfortable and spacious working area for filling out applications and for interviews.  Two restroom facilities were installed for the convenience of clients.  The space is well-ventilated with heating in the winter and air-conditioning for summer months.

Work at the Consular Section

The number of consulate employees has more than doubled since early 2000 from four to ten people to meet the growing demand for U.S. visas. The actual number visa applicants in Lithuania has tripled over the past two years. 34,232 non-immigrant visa applications were processed between August 2000 and August 2001 and a total of 20,253 visas were issued.  This figure includes 4000 visas that were issued to students going to work in the United States through the work and travel program.  Approximately 141 people are interviewed each working day for visas to travel to the U.S.  The current waiting time for an interview appointment is approximately 2-3 weeks. 

For more information on applying for visas, clients are advised to telephone

822-665-500 or view the embassy homepage:  www.usembassy.lt