Embassy Press Release

July 4^th Statement by Ambassador Taubman

July the 4th is an opportunity for Americans to celebrate the 232nd anniversary of the independence of the United States. Across the US and around the world Americans and their families, friends and neighbors will come together in small towns and large cities, in parks and churches, by rivers and lakes to mark this day of symbolizing our liberty. In most towns, the celebration begins with a reading of the Declaration of Independence, including its most famous sentence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.”

Our founding fathers brought remarkable wisdom to their efforts to unite the disparate 13 colonies into a new nation. Those founders looked beyond regional divisions and partisanship to focus on the ideals they hoped to embody in the new nation. “Ideals” is the apt term since their aim was to forge a “more perfect union,” recognizing that democracy is always a work in progress. Much remains to be done, but we are committed to seeking that ideal.

We are also committed to strengthening our strategic partnership with Romania. As democratic countries, we understand that this partnership does not rest on our military relationship alone. Of course, it includes a military aspect. We are proud to work and fight side-by-side with Romanians in Afghanistan and Iraq and we honor the memories of those soldiers who have made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of freedom. But our strategic partnership also encompasses, among other things, our commitment to a strong and united Europe in which Romania plays an integral role. It is why we applauded the way in which Romania managed the very successful NATO Summit this past April.

It also means support for a vibrant, open Romanian economy, integrated into Europe and the rest of the world, which will bring real prosperity to each and every Romanian. That is why I joined with your Ambassador to the United States, Adrian Viorita, earlier this year to promote investment in Romanian by American businesses. That is also why I cheered the return of Ford Motor Company to Romania and celebrated the opening of the new Emerson facility in Cluj-Napoca.

Our commitment to this partnership is the reason why we and our Romanian colleagues work closely together to tackle organized crime and cyber crime and to strengthen the institutions and personnel necessary to meet these law enforcement challenges. For example, Romania hosts and the US supports the SECI Center, a regional organization bringing together police and customs authorities from 12 member countries in Southeast Europe to combat organized crime.

In addition, educational and cultural programs feature prominently in our partnership. The links between people in the US and Romania grow everyday. The US Government supports many exchange programs with an aim of increasing mutual understanding. But even more important are those interactions that happen without our assistance: American NGOs are working with Romanian counterparts to support social services for vulnerable populations. Romanians from Habitat for Humanity traveled to the US to help build homes for victims of Hurricane Katrina. American companies in the American Chamber of Commerce participated in the first START Internship Fair. START is a model public/private partnership, linking bright Romanian students with firms offering internships. Even the everyday professional and personal contacts Romanians make with Americans are an important part strengthening our strategic partnership.

This is the last 4th of July my wife Jenny and I will spend in Romania. This provides us another opportunity to say just how much we are enjoying our stay in Romania, where we have made so many friends. We have been privileged to witness the brisk pace of nation’s development, to see it changing everyday. Romania’s vibrant economy is attracting foreign investment and talented Romanians are building a dynamic new economy. It is an exciting time to be here.

Traditionally Americans celebrate our Independence Day in cities large and small with parades and parties, fanfare and fireworks. This year the 4th of July will be celebrated not only in Bucharest, but also at festivities in other cities such as Constanta and Cluj. That Romanians also celebrate our Independence Day is an honor for us.

The United States of America is privileged to have Romania as a friend and a partner. I am convinced that our relationship will grow even stronger, and our peoples will grow even closer because of the shared ideals we celebrate today.

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