Remarks given by Chargé d’affaires Howard Solomon at the launch ceremony of the new Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty transmitter in Lithuania, Aug 29, 2017
We live in an information age, when ordinary citizens are bombarded with information from every angle. But as the volume and accessibility of information has increased, the accuracy and reliability of that information has become questionable.
Lithuania has been the target of an organized disinformation campaign that seeks to undermine Lithuanians’ faith in their own government, in the United States, and in the democratic institutions to which Lithuania belongs. Likewise, Lithuania’s neighbors have been targeted by the same type of disinformation campaign.
The new, stronger radio transmission tower that the United States and Lithuania are inaugurating today is a sign of both governments’ commitment to fighting back against disinformation. With this tower, Radio Free Europe programming in Russian and Belorussian is broadcast not only to the Baltic States, but it also reaches Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, and Moldova.
We cannot permit misinformation about the U.S. and Europe to be the only information Russian-speakers in these countries hear.
The United States stands with Lithuania to ensure that citizens in the region have factual information and uncensored news.
