Ambassador Palmers remarks upon the 238th anniversary of U.S. - TopicsExpress



          

Ambassador Palmers remarks upon the 238th anniversary of U.S. independence: His, Excellency, Sir Elliot Belgrave, Governor General of Barbados; The Honorable Richard Sealy, Acting Prime Minister of Barbados; Distinguished ministers of government; Representatives of the governments of Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Grenada; Members of the diplomatic and consular corps; Members of the U.S. Embassy family; Ladies and Gentlemen, friends all: A warm welcome to you all! It is a joy to celebrate the 238th anniversary of the independence of the United States of America, and an honor to do so with our many friends and colleagues here at our embassy in Barbados. This year our event’s theme, “A Red, White and Blue Affair” speaks to the joy and pride we have for our country. For all our staff – Americans and local staff alike - this is an opportunity to open our doors and share music, food and drink with friends. It is also a time when all Americans are reminded of the spirit and values that have inspired our country since its founding. Our founding dates back to July 4, 1776 and the signing of our Declaration of Independence. Since we are here celebrating on July 2, please indulge this former college professor in a little history lesson. Our second president, John Adams, firmly believed that the second of July would be the date our country remembered as its birthday. That is because on this date in 1776, the Continental Congress approved a motion for independence. And that was the action that officially separated the Thirteen American colonies from Great Britain. It is much more than our shared past as former British colonies that the United States, Barbados, and the nations of the Eastern Caribbean share. We are neighbors and natural trading partners. Daily flights connect our countries – even on days like today when tropical storms are brewing. The Bajan and Eastern Caribbean diaspora in the United States are enormous. Most of us here probably have friends or family in the United States. This relationship has endured for ages, and it continues to flourish. The U. S. Embassy’s goal is to promote US-Eastern Caribbean relations in sustainable economic growth, good governance, and a safe and vibrant civil society. We achieve those goals in several ways. The Caribbean Basin Security Initiative, for example, focuses on citizen safety throughout the hemisphere. It is the flagship foreign assistance program for us, and we work hand-in-hand with our law enforcement and NGO partners in Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean to improve citizen safety, security and rule of law in the region. Our Caribbean Basin Initiative gives duty-free access to goods coming from Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean into the United States market. These programs ensure the safe and stable environment encourages foreign investment and tourism, and in this region, tourism is vital to economic growth. You may know that education is very important to me, and education, especially STEM education, is a priority for President Obama as well. Our educational cultural exchanges are the core of our efforts in this regard. I am so pleased that under the 100,000 Strong in the Americans initiative, the Barbados Community College has partnered with universities in the United States to provide academic scholarships to Caribbean students in the disciplines of education, computer science, and the health sciences. At this time, I would like to give a special thanks to our sponsors who have made this event and our Independence Day Celebrations in years past so successful. Without your generous support, today’s wonderful festivities would not be possible. And now, please raise your glasses and join me in a toast: “To freedom, to democracy and to the enduring friendship between Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean, and the United States of America. May God bless you all. May God bless the great nations of the Eastern Caribbean, and may God bless America.
Posted on: Wed, 02 Jul 2014 23:38:20 +0000

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