ambassador speeches

230th Independence Day Welcoming Remarks

June 29, 2006, Ambassador’s Residence

Mr. President, Excellencies, Respected Guests, Dear Friends:

Every year Americans gather with family and friends all over the world to commemorate the anniversary of the signing of our Declaration of Independence.

          The vision of our Founding Fathers - men such as Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, John Hancock, Samuel Adams – their belief in freedom and equality, in taking responsibility of one’s own life and tolerance for others, limited government and rule by law.  These principles have lifted the lives of millions of Americans, of citizens by birth and citizens by choice.

          These men understood human nature and the temptations that political power offers.  They understood that men are capable of noble deeds, but also capable of selfishness and petty acts.  They devised a system to protect personal freedom, tolerance, creativity and entrepreneurship, while at the same time limiting corruption and the abuse of power.  Their system wasn’t perfect – no government of men ever will be – but to a large extent they succeeded.

          America is a nation of many different people, people from every corner of the world, including from the Czech lands.  They came because they wanted religious freedom, deliverance from political oppression and opportunities denied them at home.

          Czechoslovakia’s first president, Tomas Masaryk, and our American President Woodrow Wilson became good friends after World War I.  In 1919, during President Masaryk’s first year in office, the United States opened its Embassy in Prague and its been my honor and privilege to serve in this Embassy and continue a very long tradition of a close working relationship and partnership between the Czech Republic and the United States.

          During the last 100 years, American leadership has pushed hard for freedom and democracy throughout the world.  Security of our United States depends on the success of this effort.

          You, the Czech people, with your history, certainly know the value and meaning of freedom.  You have struggled mightily to achieve your freedom.  It is inspiring to see how you fight for the human rights of people in countries such as Cuba, Belarus, and Burma.

          It’s also inspiring to witness the amount of humanitarian assistance you provide to people and countries in need in different parts of the world:
1.       Victims of Pakistan’s earthquake;
2.       Critically ill Iraqi children;
3.       And, even victims of Hurricane Katrina on the Gulf Coast of the United States.

The relationship between our two countries is strong.  We have common democratic values and interconnected economies.  Why am I so confident that this relationship will endure into the future?  WW II and the Cold War is a dim memory for an increasing proportion of our populations and the geographical distance between our two countries is large.  However, I believe our partnership will endure because, as history has taught us, international relations will always be personal.  Governments come and go (as I’m sure you may have noticed in recent weeks) but the character of people and friendship have more enduring qualities.  It is the links between our peoples that will always sustain our friendship.

          This year, 50,000 Czechs will come to America.  They will travel to most of our states and meet millions of Americans.  Over 3,000 of your finest students will spend the summer on our J-1 visitor program, working and traveling across the US and gaining a deeper understanding of America and Americans than they could ever receive in a lecture hall.  Over 500 Czech students are attending college full-time in America.  For up to 4 years, they will become the face of the Czech Republic to their fellow classmates and professors, and giving thousands more Americans a link to the Czech Republic.  People-to-people ties are the greatest possible foundation for the future relationship between our two countries.  It behooves my country and its leadership to facilitate travel for Czechs who want to visit, study in or conduct business in the US.

          This year, we expect 350,000 Americans will visit the Czech Republic.  I’m sure it sometimes seems to you that every single one of them is on the Charles Bridge!  If it is any consolation to you, my staff sometimes wonder if every one of the 350,000 has somehow lost their passports.

          These 350,000 traveling Americans will also experience life in the Czech Republic and will go home with a fondness for this place and its people, a fondness that will not easily be swayed by the political winds of the future.

          The Czech-US relationship is strong and deep.  It succeeds because of our common view of the world and it will endure in the future because our successors will continue that relationship as they get to know each other.  I am proud to have been a steward of the US-Czech relationship.

          Thank you.