Sen. Ben E. Nelson (D-Neb.) has joined the U.S. Senate’s Baltic Freedom Caucus, says the Joint Baltic American National Committee. Nelson has shown an interest in the Baltic countries and their aspirations to join the NATO defense alliance, JBANC said in a press release.

He was a part of a five-member Senate delegation that attended “Rīga 2002: The Bridge to Prague” summit of the NATO aspirant countries July 5-6 in Rīga. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Nelson is closely involved in the Senate’s NATO enlargement ratification debate.

With Nelson the Senate Baltic Freedom Caucus has 11 members. The House Baltic Caucus has 71 members.

JBANC, based in Washington, D.C., represents the American Latvian Association, the Estonian American National Council and the Lithuanian American Council.