Ambassador
Ambassador's Speech
REMARKS BY AMBASSADOR WAYNE ON THE U.S. AND ARGENTINA – PRESENT AND FUTURE PERSPECTIVES
University of Belgrano
September 26, 2007
I would first like to thank President Avelino Porto for inviting me to speak with you today and for giving me the honor of inaugurating the University’s new series of lectures on foreign affairs. It’s a great initiative, and I look forward to a lively exchange of views.
I have just come from meeting with U.S. students who are studying here at the University. I emphasized to them how important it was to reach out to as many Argentines as possible while they are here, to participate fully in the life of the university, and to seek out opportunities to help Argentines understand Americans and the values of our democratic republic. I also urged them to listen carefully to their Argentine counterparts and to try to accommodate other views.
Similarly, I would like to encourage the Argentine students here today to reach out to your fellow students from the U.S. Ask questions. Find out what makes them tick. I’ll bet you learn something you didn’t know about the U.S. and you might even make a new friend.
I believe the best way to ameliorate the anti-American sentiment, that polls consistently show is quite high in Argentina, is for our two peoples to get to know each other better. We need to create more spaces for frank and open dialogue, devote more resources to exchanges, and take advantage of the opportunities that are presented. Here at this university, the presence of so many American youngsters constitutes just such an opportunity, and I encourage you to seize it.
As I have said often in speeches and interviews I have given since my arrival in Argentina 10 months ago, nothing is more important in my view in building a strong bilateral relationship between our two countries than people-to-people ties. Governments come and go; diplomats like me come and go; but relationships between people endure.
In recognition of that core fact, the US Embassy has worked very hard to strengthen people-to-people ties, with a special focus on reaching out to young people.
The Embassy is also making a strong contribution to education in Argentina. We are investing significant resources (around a million dollars a year) in Argentina’s youth through cultural and academic exchanges, seminars, book donations, English teaching, and the Teacher Ambassador and Youth Ambassador programs.
The flagship of our exchange effort, of course, is the Fulbright program, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in Argentina last year. Over those last 5 decades, nearly 5,000 Argentines and Americans have lived and studied in our respective countries.
In addition, the Fulbright Commission and the Embassy have over the last two years collaborated actively in mounting a series of seminars on US Studies, both for young leaders and also for professionals with some varying years of experience. The goal of these seminars, which take place in an intense academic environment, is to offer Argentines the historical and social context they need for better understanding how current US policy is made and carried out. We launched these seminars because the way in which the curriculum in Argentine high schools and universities is designed leaves little room for courses on specific countries, such as the U.S. Yet there is a thirst for information. We have been deeply gratified by the response to these programs, with frequently more than 400 applicants for just 30 spaces.
Speaking of Fulbright, you might not be aware of this, but your President, Dr. Porto was at one time a member of the Fulbright Board, and the university had a cost-sharing agreement with the Fulbright Commission that funded a sizeable number of master's degree candidates. That cooperation continues today. In fact, I’m glad to note that one of your graduates is a former Fulbright scholar who now works at the US Embassy. I hope some of you listening to me today carry that tradition forward.
It is important to recognize in this regard that there is also enormous amount of activity in the area of international education that takes place outside the government framework. Many Argentine universities, including the University of Belgrano, for example, have exchange agreements with their US counterparts. Just recently, NYU announced plans to open a branch here in Buenos Aires. Over 3,000 Argentines are currently studying at American universities, and even more American students are enrolled at Argentine universities. We are actively exploring ways to increase those numbers.
In addition to our work in education, we are also trying to get out more to schools, orphanages, community libraries, drug treatment centers, homes for at-risk women and children, and other such institutions in the barrios of Buenos Aires and beyond to donate books, computers, school supplies and other needed materials. Our goal is to deepen our engagement with the community, and especially young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. We want to be good neighbors and to contribute, even in a modest way.
On the governmental level, we maintain a very fluid dialogue with Argentina on a wide range of issues. And, although it may not seem like it sometimes from the news reports, on many of these issues, the U.S. and Argentina hold similar views. It is on the basis of this convergence of views and mutual interest that we are moving the bilateral relationship forward.
On international crime, illegal narcotics trafficking, and counter terrorism, for instance, our cooperation is nothing short of outstanding.
At the UN, Argentina and the U.S. share common objectives on peacekeeping, UN reform, and nuclear proliferation. Today, Argentina is probably our closest partner in Latin America on non-proliferation issues.
In the region, we have jointly promoted democracy, including a multilateral peacekeeping mission in Haiti.
We have strong commercial links between our two countries. There are nearly 500 US companies in Argentina, which employ 155,000 Argentines. Many of these US companies have a long history in Argentina and their CEOs are Argentines. In addition, many of them are practicing good corporate citizenship; they are actively involved in sponsoring social and educational projects in their communities that have helped improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of Argentines.
We have vibrant exchanges among lawyers and judges on best practices in judicial reform.
Tourism is booming. Increasing numbers of Americans are traveling to Argentina. In 2006, more than 270,000 Americans visited Argentina, second only to Brazil, while the number of Argentines who traveled to the U.S. went up by 12% in 2006, with 212,000 arrivals. Airlines are reporting 85% occupancy and we just expanded on our airline agreements in order to increase the number of flights.
Looking to the future, I am optimistic that we can continue to find opportunities to expand areas for cooperation and exchange.
We have increasingly exciting possibilities in space, in health, and in science and technology. There is ongoing excellent bilateral research and collaboration in space between NASA and CONAE. Harvard Medical International recently launched in Argentina a new international program aimed at promoting long-term scientific collaboration between Latin American and US researchers in the bio-medical sciences called PABSELA (Program for the Advancement of Biomedical Sciences Education in Latin America). And given Argentina’s impressive ability to create, invent and innovate, our two countries are increasingly working together on high tech in the private sector.
Because we are also two great agricultural producing nations, there are new opportunities for cooperation in the field of biofuels.
And finally, every day the Embassy receives requests to cooperate on programs in the arts, sports and education. With so many talented Argentine artists, athletes and professionals making history in the US – like Paloma Herrera, Julio Bocca, Gustavo Santaolalla, and Manu Ginobili – and so many notable Americans like Francis Ford Coppola discovering the wonders of Argentina, we have a very exciting opportunity to build new and lasting relationships.
With that, I think I’ll stop there. I thank you for being such an attentive audience. And I look forward to your questions and to sharing ideas on some of the issues I’ve just outlined.
Thank You.