An Eastern European nation—a former Soviet republic—sought to enhance its bilateral relationship with the United States by working to build strong Western engagement with its leaders and in support of its policies to promote Western integration. The client believed that with the 2009 inauguration of a new U.S. President and Congress, it was necessary for the country and its leadership to re-introduce and re-position itself vis-à-vis newly appointed and elected U.S. officials by presenting itself as a strong, committed ally of the U.S. and a defender of democracy not only in their own country but also in the region as a whole.

 

First, with many individual countries competing simultaneously for the U.S.’ limited attention, the engagement’s most basic challenge was developing and pursuing a constructive substantive agenda that would both retain and sustain the U.S.’ focus. Second, and in contrast to the previous Republican administration with which the country had enjoyed uncontested rapport, an additional challenge arose as a consequence of the new approach that the newly-elected Obama Administration brought to Washington, highlighted by two unique features:

 

1)  Its straight-forward and pragmatic country-by-country approach to bilateral and multilateral engagement that focused, in large part, on identifying issues of mutual interest and structuring mechanisms to minimize issues in conflict; and

2)  Its stated intention of “pressing the reset button” on U.S. relations with Russia.

 

The first feature presented a challenge to the country’s previous U.S. engagement strategy, which had been heavily based on geopolitical terms. The second feature also presented a challenge as the government leaders had made U.S. support for a NATO Charter a key component of its bilateral agenda.

 

 

 

With its team of seasoned strategists, including those with deep ties to newly appointed Obama Administration officials, Blue Star Strategies, LLC worked to implement a parallel outreach, education and message program to deepen knowledge and engagement in Washington. This included targeted outreach to key players in Congress and among leading thinkers and elites to ensure they were aware that the U.S. bilateral relationship with the country was based on a robust strategic partnership and that it was moving forward.

 

These initial efforts were pursued in order to provide the country and its leadership with a strong platform for engaging the U.S. and the Obama Administration and to demonstrate that the country was a priority, which would lead to eventual productive bilateral meetings between leaders of both countries.

 

Specific programmatic elements included:

 

· Implementing an extensive and coordinated lobbying effort with members of Congress and their staff and ensuring positive messages for the country at Congressional hearings;

· Conducting extensive outreach and policy consultation with elected and appointed officials and nongovernmental organizations on potential substantive bilateral agenda items for mutual cooperation;

· Advocating for and supporting high level bilateral meetings between U.S. and the country’s leaders in both Washington and abroad;

· Planning, staffing, and following up on visits by the country’s leaders to Washington;

· Drafting and submitting op-ed pieces by the country’s leadership to The Washington Post, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal; briefing members of Congress and their staffs in advance of official Congressional delegations to the country;

· Supporting the research and information-gathering visits of U.S. think tank scholars to the country; arranging small round-table discussions for the country’s ambassador in Washington with administration officials and think tank scholars to ensure their continued attention to the bilateral relationship; and

· Communicating on substantive and scheduling agenda items across executive branch agencies and directly with all levels of the Obama Administration; and providing frequent strategic consultative direction to the country’s leaders regarding the specific approaches, priorities, and concerns of the U.S. government, suggested areas for substantive policy engagement, and suggested message and talking points.