CONSUL GENERAL SPEECHES

Remarks at the John Adams Institute’s Commemoration of Dutch American Friendship Day, NH Barbizon Palace Hotel, Amsterdam, April 17, 2007, 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Ladies and Gentlemen:  It is a special pleasure for me to welcome you to what promises to be a great evening.  I am especially honored to be able to welcome His Excellency Jan Kees de Jager, and of course our speaker tonight, Antoine van Agtmael and our moderator Mark Blaisse.

This evening is also a celebration of an historic event.  It was 225 years ago this week that the Staten-Generaal formally recognized the United States of America as an independent nation.  John Adams, who helped write the U.S. Constitution and later became the second president of the United States, was the key American negotiator and referred to his efforts in The Netherlands as perhaps the greatest achievement of his lifetime.  We treasure this event because The Netherlands was the first nation in the world to recognize our nascent country and over the past two centuries we have dedicated ourselves to freedom, independence and economic development for ourselves and others.
For his pains, Adams was appointed the first U.S. Ambassador to The Netherlands and his pivotal role in our joint histories resonates to the present day, as a symbol of cultural, intellectual and commercial exchange between our two nations.

In honor of 225 years of uninterrupted diplomatic relations the U.S. and The Netherlands have organized a week-long series of events held throughout The Netherlands, including this one, as well as several presentations by Russell Shorto, author of a tremendous history of Nieuwe Amsterdam in my home state of New York (and a previous guest of the John Adams Institute).  We are also grateful to the Dutch government for holding a commemoration at the Binnenhof at which Prime Minister Balkenende and Ambassador Arnall, among others, will speak.

April 19 – the day that The Netherlands recognized the United States – will also be celebrated across the Atlantic, where two of our Members of Congress with Dutch roots successfully sponsored a resolution – which was overwhelmingly approved – proclaiming the importance of the historic relationship and friendship between our two nations and our two peoples.  This resolution proclaims:

“ … the bonds of friendship linking the Dutch and American people continue to grow in strength and affection. 

and

“  … the heritage of this friendship between peoples serves as a laudable example for the kinds of relations that should link all peoples of the earth.”
Tonight we gather as friends, and as guests of two organizations that are pillars of the Dutch – American relationship.

The John Adams Institute takes its name from our first Ambassador to The Netherlands.  Its mission is furthering cultural and educational opportunities between our two nations, as well as sharing America’s brightest minds and most intriguing authors with the people of The Netherlands.

The American Chamber of Commerce in The Netherlands serves as a powerful business advocate for companies and individuals who invest in and trade with the United States and The Netherlands.  Both organizations support critical elements of our transatlantic relationship.

Now I could speak to you at length about many of the important historic events that have linked our two countries over the last two hundred years:

--  the Dutch government’s loan to the U.S. that served as critical support to    
    our young nation
--  Dutch support in financing the Louisiana Purchase
--  the sacrifices made by Dutch patriots and American soldiers during
     World War II
--  the Marshall Plan
--  Dutch assistance in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina

And I could speak to you about the enormous contributions that the Dutch people and people of Dutch descent have made to the United States.  To name just a few:  President Martin van Buren, President Theodore Roosevelt, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and of course his wife Eleanor Roosevelt – a political leader in her own right.  And then there are other names familiar to all of us:  Audrey Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart, Meryl Streep.  And I must add – Bruce Springsteen and those two Van Halen brothers, Eddie and Alex.

But you are here to listen to a financier and author with a world-wide reputation in the study of emerging markets, and participate in what I am sure will be a fascinating discussion with an able moderator.

So I will simply say:  Thank you, Carolina van der Ark of the American Chamber of Commerce, and thank you, Corine Krijgsman for hosting this event.  And thanks to all of you for taking the time out of your busy schedules to celebrate our enduring relationship.  I hope we can look forward together to the next 225 years.