Presidential Inauguration: Celebrating Orderly Transition of Power

The American Embassy celebrated American’s orderly transition of power on Inauguration Day, January 20, witnessing the live broadcast of the Presidential Inauguration events. An audience of over 100 gathered in the American Cultural Center to watch the broadcast and discuss inaugural traditions. Our guests joined many other people in cities across America and around the world who had gathered around large screens to follow the historic events as they unfolded. Before the swearing in ceremony, several local media outlets interviewed Chargé d'Affaires Guthrie-Corn who spoke about continuity in the excellent US bi-lateral relationship with Romania and the priorities of the new administration.

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Launch of "Barack Obama - the Path to the White House”

Inauguration Day activities also included the launch of the Romanian language edition of the book, Barack Obama - the Path to the White House produced by local publishing house, Puzzleworks. The event, co-hosted by the American Cultural Center, included a brief recap by Prof. Rodica Mihaela, the Dean of the Department of American Studies at the University of Bucharest, of President Obama’s campaign and the significance of his election for the United States and for international observers.

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Deputy Assistant Secretary Matthew Bryza talks with Romanian media

During his visit to Bucharest, following the Nabucco Summit in Budapest, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Matthew Bryza spoke about the pipeline project and European energy policy in an interview with The Money Channel. Mr. Bryza explained that the U.S. supports Nabucco because it is important for Europe's diversification of its natural gas supplies, saying it is more economically efficient than the South Stream project. He also offered insights from the recent Summit on Nabucco in Budapest, Hungary, saying that the key issue at the Summit was European leaders' agreement to accelerate the construction of Nabucco. Mr. Bryza also was interviewed by the National Public Radio’s Romania Actualitati, where he also spoke about the energy issues. He commented on European defense issues, noting the excellent military cooperation between Romania and U.S.

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Changes in US Foreign Policy under the Obama Administration: Public Affairs Counselor speaks to Radio Cluj

On January 29, Public Affairs Counselor Judy Moon answered questions from Radio Cluj on possible changes in U.S. foreign policy under the new Administration of President Barack Obama. She discussed the Administration’s foreign policy priorities and spoke about its renewed accent on diplomacy. The Obama Administration in its first week appointed three special envoys: to the Middle East, to Afghanistan and Pakistan, and on Climate Change. In answer to a question on U.S. relations with its European partners and NATO allies, she said that our relationship was based on shared democratic values that bind us together as we confront these challenging times ahead.

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Fulbright Commission welcomes new American Scholars

The Romanian-U.S. Fulbright Commission welcomed new American scholars to Romania last month. They join colleagues already studying, teaching and carrying out research in Romania under Fulbright grants. This year the Commission will award a total of over 40 grants to students and scholars from the U.S. and Romania. American grantees are working at universities in Brasov, Bucharest, Cluj, Constanta, Craiova, Iasi, Sibiu, and Timisoara. Since 1961, over 1600 Americans and Romanians have participated in this prestigious educational exchange program.

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American Cultural Center programs highlighted on Romanian National Television

Romanian Public Television’s cultural channel, TVR Cultural, highlighted the activities of foreign cultural centers in Bucharest to celebrate Romania’s National Day on December 1. The special report included the American Cultural Center, featuring an interview with the Cultural Attaché Julie O’Reagan. She described the Center’s most important outreach activities: cultural exchanges, like the Fulbright program or the International Visitors Leadership Program, art and dance performances, and American Corners programs. To show the activities organized at the American Cultural Center, the production included video of a recent presentation by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Colleen Graffy to students of the University of Bucharest, and an example of a Digital Video Conference with the American Corner in Iasi.

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U.S. investments in Romania: Economic Counselor views

In late November, an interview with Economic Counselor Blair LaBarge was featured on The Money Channel, which dedicated one hour of their program to U.S. investments in Romania. The business channel presented the current state of the U.S. investments in Romania, saying it occupies the seventh place from the total of foreign investments in Romania. The U.S. businesses invested USD1 billion through the 5,700 Romanian companies with American interests. To this, Mr. LaBarge added that, in the long term, Romania remains an attractive destination for foreign investment, but it needs to work hard to remain competitive in the near future. He offered examples of some very important investments done over the last year, like Ford buying the majority stake at Automobile Craiova, Emerson opening a factory in Cluj or the announced openings of Delphi and Procter & Gamble facilities in Romania.

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Consul talks about American Absentee and Early Voting Systems

In late January, members of the Romanian Parliament, Government representatives, NGOs leaders and journalists gathered at the American Cultural Center to learn more about the U.S. absentee and early voting systems from Consul Joseph Parente. He presented U.S. voting procedures, which allow citizens to vote from a location outside of their regular voting district, or vote prior to the scheduled election day. Mr. Parente talked also about the voter registration process, shared illustrative statistical data, and explained the U.S. Embassy’s role in assisting the American citizens living and working in Romania.

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American Cultural Center celebrates Human Rights Day

In celebration of the 60th anniversary of the proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) on December 10, 100 high school students and teachers from Bucharest met in the American Cultural Center with media representatives and partners from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, U.N. Information Center, and Hewlett-Packard Romania to launch a writing competition on “What human right do I value most?” The event kicked off with a series of three short videos: “Youth Volunteers”, “Midnight Basketball”, and “Michelle Kwan Travels to Argentina” to highlight Article 29 in the UDHR – “everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible”. Then Public Affairs Counselor Judy Moon welcomed the students, highlighted the U.S. commitment for the worldwide respect of human rights, and launched the writing contest.

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Abraham Lincoln: A common man forged in uncommon times

2009 is the bicentenary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth. From humble beginnings he rose to become president of the United States. His legacy inspires even today. Indeed, President Barack Obama, who is also from Illinois, chose to be sworn in on the same Bible that Lincoln used at his inauguration.

Throughout 2009, the Embassy will offer programs to highlight the life, contributions and legacy of Abraham Lincoln.

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