OREANDA-NEWS. President Dalia Grybauskaite met with representatives of the business mission from the United States of America. U.S. investors are visiting Lithuania on the initiative of the American-Lithuanian Business Council that was launched half a year ago. The President attended its inaugural meeting in Washington.

The main objective of the mission is to promote economic cooperation between Lithuania and the United States of America, develop bilateral business ties, and open new opportunities for trade and investment.

“We have a lot of untapped potential. Enhancing business ties and economic cooperation with the United States of America - the world's largest market and investor - is in the interest of Lithuania,” the President.

The United States of America at present is the 17th biggest investor in Lithuania, but the number of its business investment projects is increasing. During the meeting, President of the American-Lithuanian Business Council Eric Stewart said that Lithuania is an attractive country for foreign investment.

American companies operating in Lithuania value its well-educated workforce, well-developed infrastructure of communications and information technologies, the achievements of Lithuanian researchers and manufacturers in the biotech and laser spheres.

According to the President, new investments contribute to adding new jobs and solving unemployment problems. Major U.S. companies seeking to boost their productivity and competitiveness set up business centers in Lithuania, employing many talented and diligent young people.

The Strategic Staffing Solutions which is part of the mission, helped the Western Union, CSC, Barclays and other U.S. companies to establish their divisions and find the necessary workforce in Lithuania. One of the largest global IT solutions and consulting company Computer Science Corporation (CSC) intends to expand their activities increasing the number of employees in Lithuania from 300 to 1000. The Western Union Corporation set up an IT client service center in Vilnius, with 950 employees.