Washington, DC — December 1, 2009 — Dr. Arthur Keys, IRD President and CEO, joined in honoring Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar and her husband, John Bessler, on Tuesday, December 1, at a dinner hosted by Slovenian Ambassador to the United States Roman Kirn and his wife, Madam Jovana Kirn. Senator Klobuchar takes great pride in her Slovenian heritage and was interested in the work that the U.S. is doing in Eastern Europe. Ambassador Kirn, Senator Klobuchar, and Dr. Keys discussed IRD’s plans to open an office in Slovenia in the near future.

Senator Klobuchar and Dr. Keys also talked about IRD’s agricultural programs, specifically food for education programs in Laos and the Afghanistan Vouchers for Increased Production in Agriculture (AVIPA) program. Senator Klobuchar is a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, and Minneapolis-Saint Paul has one of the five largest Laotian-American communities in the United States. She hopes to visit some of IRD's programs soon.

Senator Klobuchar is a member of the First Congregational United Church of Christ (UCC) of Minnesota, and is one of four UCC U.S. Senators. Dr. Keys is an ordained minister in both the UCC and Disciples of Christ.