ambassador
Ambassador's Speech
AMBASSADOR WAYNE’S REMARKS FOR AMCHAM’S FAREWELL CEREMONY
May 21, 2009
La Mansion at the Four Seasons Hotel
Thank you all for hosting this despedida in my honor. It is very important for me to meet with you one last time in Argentina in my role as Ambassador.
Alejandro, I truly want to thank you and your team for AMCHAM’s strong partnership with the Embassy. AMCHAM Argentina is one of the best I have seen and could be used as a model throughout the world. You are a key ally from whom I have often sought advice and counsel in all matters concerning commercial activity, and your member companies are the familiar faces that I enjoy seeing around town.
It is no surprise that the American Chamber in Argentina is one of the strongest in the region, with an impressive membership of more than 750 companies, some of which have had a presence in Argentina for more than 100 years, a true testament to our strong commercial ties.
My time in Argentina has passed quickly and I have so many wonderful memories which involve activities with the AMCHAM and its members.
In fact, my first official event as Ambassador was to participate in AMCHAM’s Premio Ciudadanía Empresaria honoring the excellent work companies perform in the area of Corporate Social Responsibility, an issue that I hold dear to my heart and have been happy to support and highlight during my time here.
I know that a majority of your companies have significant social responsibility programs. I’ve visited lots of them personally; in fact, practically every visit I have made to U.S. companies here has included a social responsibility component.
I am convinced that such initiatives not only have a positive impact in the communities you serve, but help promote the positive image that so many U.S. companies deserve as well. That’s why we have established a U.S. Embassy award for outstanding corporate social responsibility programs. In the last two years, we’ve honored ten U.S. companies for their excellence in that area here in Argentina.
You U.S. firms have also showed your support for Argentina’s future through your wonderful collaboration in our inaugural NGO fair that was first held at the residence one year ago. The success of this event was so apparent and the theme so important that we recently held our second fair with many of your companies present. Eighty-five deserving Argentine NGOs participated in that event, prompting me to recommend that we institutionalize the fair as a yearly Embassy-sponsored event!
We have worked together in so many other areas as well. I have appreciated your support in highlighting the importance of protecting intellectual property to ensure that innovation and creativity are respected and safeguarded. This is necessary in order to preserve the cultural integrity of our artists’ work and our companies’ research and development, regardless of where they are from or call home.
It has also been an honor to serve as a member of the Chamber’s Board, as your open assessments and honest viewpoints allowed me to gain the insights needed to formulate a comprehensive and updated understanding of the commercial environment here in Argentina.
I want to congratulate you all on last year’s 90th Anniversary celebration. Happily, I had the opportunity to participate in several of your events, including your spectacular Gala. Each was unique and original, many of which highlighted the wonderful cultural bonds that our two countries share. This was a highlight for my tenure here, and for the U.S.-Argentine bilateral relationship.
All of your efforts in turn help our mutual goal: to strengthen our bilateral ties. I have said this often and will repeat it again, you are all Ambassadors in your own right. Over 500 U.S.-based firms working here employ over 155,000 Argentines offering some of the best jobs available in this economy. It may surprise some people that U.S. firms took six of the top ten and 21 of the top 50 spots in a survey of the best places to work in Argentina, but it doesn’t surprise me.
Together, in this time of economic uncertainty, it is our work together, and the work of all the creative talent represented here tonight, that gives me confidence and hope that together we can shape our future.
I want to sincerely thank you once again for welcoming Pam and me upon our arrival to Argentina and for your continuous support and friendship.
