Consul General Speeches

AmCham Holiday Wine and Cheese Celebration, Kasteel de Wittenburg, Landgoed de Wittenburg 1, The Hague, December 18, 2007

Good evening Minister Heemskerk, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen.  On behalf of Ambassador Roland Arnall, and all of my diplomatic colleagues serving in The Netherlands, it is an honor for me to welcome you to what has become a revered December tradition in the Dutch and American communities, the AmCham Holiday Wine and Cheese Celebration.

The timing of this event is quite appropriate, falling as it does between several holidays that hold special importance in terms of family and community in both The Netherlands and the United States.  Many of us who call The Netherlands home temporarily are only too happy to share in the festivities of Sinterklaas.  Last week we marked the end of the eight day festival of lights, Hannukah.  And of course Christmas and New Year’s are just around the corner.

In addition to celebrations with family, friends and colleagues, this time of year is generally one of reflection, where we take the time to review the events of the past year and look forward with anticipation to new beginnings.

2007 has been a momentous year for the American Chamber of Commerce in The Netherlands.  Raoul has already spoken about some of the highlights, but I would like to take this opportunity to extend another warm welcome to the AmCham’s new executive director Riette Blaquiere.

Looking back on this past year, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention some of the highlights for me and my colleagues in the U.S. Mission to The Netherlands.  Importantly, 2007 marked the 225^th anniversary of official relations between the United States and The Netherlands.  In April we celebrated our vibrant and enduring relationship with a week of activities that highlighted the many aspects of Dutch American friendship, culminating in a ceremony in The Binnenhof presided over by Prime Minister Balkenende and Ambassador Arnall.  In July we celebrated the establishment of a new airline route between Schiphol and Hartford, Connecticut, an important metropolitan area in the northeastern United States.

In September, 140 Dutch companies joined 130 American ones at the High Tech Connections forum in San Francisco where they explored developing business opportunities in the exciting fields of nanotechnology, health care and security.  What a terrific joint effort between the U.S. and Dutch governments.

And along the year, we hosted numerous visitors – including Members of Congress and their staffs, a Governor, a Lieutenant Governor, and many, many others who came to The Netherlands to explore developments in key commercial sectors, including energy efficiency, alternative energy sources, water management and flood protection.  They came from places as disparate as Arizona, Delaware, Ohio, South Carolina, Arkansas and Texas – but all with a common purpose:  opening up more opportunities for investment, trade and economic growth on both sides of the Atlantic.

There’s tremendous value in reflection.  Yet I would venture that the people in this room are here not because they spend a lot of time looking backwards or dwelling on the achievements of the past.  Together, let us look forward to further deepening the investment and trade relations between our two countries.  Let us grow the membership in AmCham even as we strengthen the participation of those who have already made a decision to support it.  And let’s look for new and innovative ways to become involved in AmCham’s activities, welcoming our young professionals to take a larger role, for example, in support of our common purpose:  working together in support of those of invest in and trade between the United States of America and The Netherlands.

Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining us for what will surely be another enjoyable and memorable Wine and Cheese party.  I extend to you my best wishes for this holiday season, and healthy, happy and prosperous New Year.

Ik wens uw een gezond en voorspoedig Nieuw Jaar.