embassy events

Groundbreaking Ceremony at New RFE/RL Site

Colleen Graffy, Alexandr Vondra and Richard Graber

Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty inaugurated its new building site in Hagibor, Praha 10 on Friday, October 13, 2006.  Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's mission today remains what it has been for nearly half a century: promoting democratic values and institutions by disseminating factual information and ideas. 

From Central Asia to the Pacific, from the Baltic to the Black Sea, from Russia to Central Asia to the Persian Gulf, countries are struggling to overcome autocratic institutions, violations of human rights, ethnic and religious hostilities, and severely controlled media. RFE/RL exists to help the peoples of this enormous region overcome these problems by promoting the values of democracy and free-market economics in ways that also promote the stability essential to global peace.

Among the participants who spoke at the October 13 groundbreaking ceremony were Lord Mayor of Prague Pavel Bém, U.S. Ambassador Richard Graber and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Colleen Graffy.  The five-floor building, expected to be finished in 2008, will feature 23,000 square meters of modern office space built to the specifications of RFE/RL. 

Colleen Graffy	Groundbreaking Ceremony	RFE/RL Associate Director Joyce Davis