Powell made the request in a letter to Lithuanian Foreign Minister Antanas Valionis.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Petras Zapolskas said the letter re-affirmed the United States' commitment to expanding NATO to the east. It made reference to the 1998 U.S.-Baltic Charter which expressed U.S. support for the Baltic states' ambitions to join the alliance.
The recent acts of terror, said Powell's letter, "have not deterred us from the purpose and vision President Bush enunciated in his Warsaw speech: forging a Europe truly whole, free and secure.
"We have rededicated ourselves to a vision in which your country and the other Baltic states have a vital role to play," it continued. "We remain steadfast in our commitment to help you prepare yourselves for full integration in the trans-Atlantic community."
The U.S. secretary of state also urged the Lithuanian foreign minister "to think of tangible ways to advance the goals of the U.S.-Baltic Charter, through the Northern Europe Initiative and other means.
"We look forward in particular to your thoughts on ways the Baltic states can build cooperation with Russia, which must also be part of a Europe that is truly whole and free," the letter continued.
"We must turn our outrage into action and combine resources in defense against extremists who murder innocent men, women and children.
"The three Baltic states, under the U.S.-Baltic Charter and through the Baltic Partnership Commission, can contribute to this effort. As we look forward to the next meeting, I urge you to develop a program of action, including steps you can take individually and in concert to contribute to the worldwide fight against the terrible scourge of terrorism."
Because of the attacks on Sept. 11, the Baltic Partnership Commission had to postpone a meeting, which Valionis and Latvia's and Estonia's foreign ministers were to attend.
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