ambassador remarks

Closing Remarks
Ballistic Missile Defense Industry, Research and Business Seminar
January 17, 2008

Thank you, General Obering. And thank you, Deputy Minister Pojar, for bringing us together in Prague to begin what we earnestly hope will be a new era of cooperation between the Czech Republic and the United States.
 
More than ten U.S. firms are represented at this conference; they are a resource for completing the $4 billion that the U.S. government estimates it needs to invest over the next five years in the missile defense research initiatives vital to our transatlantic security. America's private sector stands ready to work with the Czech Republic, to share its experience in emerging technologies, and to form the backbone of new defense partnerships.
 
This is a perfect example of the long-term benefits that the missile defense project can have for the Czech Republic. We really do believe that this initiative will open a new chapter in U . S . -Czech relations, resulting in broader and deeper partnerships politically, technologically and economically.
 
Among the forty participating Czech firms and educational institutions are leaders and innovators. As U.S. ambassador, I see every day the key role Czech firms in Prague, Brno and other cities play in the operation of global, multinational firms – with internationally competitive centers engaged in software, engineering, and materials development, as well as world-class manufacturing.
 
During this seminar, you have hopefully seen a glimpse of what that cooperative future can bring. The U.S. has been the Czech Republic's largest research and development investor for several years and I believe that greater U.S.-Czech cooperation will result in even stronger advancements. Investors, especially those who must make long-term commitments, want certainty in their operating environment, transparency and contracts that can be legally enforced. The U.S. and Czech governments are poised to assist in this effort -- government-to-government and government-to-industry -- through other seminars in the upcoming weeks and, most importantly, through a Framework Agreement.
 
As we stand at the beginning of what I believe will be a new era in our comprehensive security relationship, let us remember: Our intrinsic values make us well suited as partners. We are democratic societies that prize individual freedoms and possess dynamic entrepreneurs who increasingly speak the same language of innovation and growth, and who have already shown their willingness to work together to face the security challenges of the 21st century. These fundamental traits mean the U.S.-Czech relationship can and will go forward. We are well positioned to work together, and the reality is that we are already doing so.
 
Thank you for your participation. Thank you for your interest. I hope you found [this seminar] beneficial.