The US Ambassador in Bucharest: His mission is to help Romania get out of the crisis and to strengthen the Romanian-American partnership

Marţi, 4 august 2009, 20:09 English | Bucharest

Mark Gitenstein has been named the US ambassador in Romania, according to a US Embassy report. The US diplomat's mission has four objectives: to strengthen the alliance with Romania, to help Romanian get of recession through intensifying the commercial relationship and American investment, but also through better transparency, administrative reform and regulation. It also aims to continue supporting its commitment for tolerance and minority rights, "a commitment that we already see in courageous leaders such as President Basescu".

"Romania's history for the last two decades has been a remarkable one, changing from a Soviet satellite to one of our most loyal and trustworthy allies, from a paralysed market dominated by the state to the fastest emergent economy in Europe, before recession hit the world last year", Gitenstein declared.

he accentuated the Romanian-American partnership, noting that Romanians did not have an empty rhetoric, but spilt their blood alongside the American soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. "We Americans believe in Shakespeare's words, that he who spills blood next t me is my brother", Gitenstein added.

His mission in Romania has as priorities the strengthening and consolidation of the partnership, helping Romanians come out of the recession through the development of co-lateral commerce and increasing investment, but also by helping these through a higher transparency, administrative reform and regulations. The American Ambassador addresses an explicit appreciation to Romania's President Basescu, a "courageous leader", who took a firm commitment in defending the right of minorities.

During the oath ceremony, Gitenstein brought homage to his family, namely to his grandparents who were born in Romania, in Iasi (North-Est) and Galati (East), and to his father, Seymour Gitenstein, who's 94 years old.

"The essential quality that i see in them, I see it also in all people that live now in Romania. Tough, resilient, determined people, who went through a lot and did not lose their sense of humour and lust for life", the American Ambassador concluded.