AMBASSADOR SPEECHES

Welcome Reception for Ambassador Robert J. callahan. U.S. Embassy, Managua

September 10, 2008

Vice President Morales, Foreign Minister Santos, Diplomatic Corps, Embassy colleagues and friends,

On behalf of the U.S. Embassy and its employees, I am pleased to welcome such a distinguished group of visitors. 

My wife Debbie and I arrived less than three-weeks ago but already we feel at home here in Nicaragua.  I hope that tonight we can reciprocate in a small way the hospitality you have shown us and spend some time getting to know you all better.

As U.S. ambassador to Nicaragua, I plan to dedicate as much time as possible to visiting every part of Nicaragua and, while there, sample your famous cuisine in all its regional diversity --  quesillo in Leon, rosquillas in Rivas, and the pan de coco on the Caribbean coast.  And, of course, we will dine everywhere on the nacatamales and gallo pinto. 

I don’t know about my wife, but I hope to watch some baseball as well.

As I mentioned in my remarks at the presentation of credentials to President Ortega in Matagalpa—and I want to thank the government of Nicaragua again for that courtesy —one of my responsibilities as U.S. ambassador will be to describe, explain, and promote American policies toward Nicaragua, and I can identify those policies briefly:  the United States seeks to support Nicaraguans as you endeavor to strengthen your democracy and develop your economy, all on a basis of mutual respect and mature dialogue. 

Just yesterday, I was able to have that type of cordial, frank discussion with Vice President Morales, and the day before with Foreign Minister Santos.  As you know, we will not always agree on every issue.  Sovereign nations, even those with the best of intentions, see things through the prism of their own national interests, which of course don’t always coincide.  But I know that by keeping the lines of communication open, we can discuss our differences civilly, when possible find an acceptable compromise, and then move forward.

Our close relations with the people of Nicaragua are a natural consequence of our strong and deep historical ties.  The more I meet with Nicaraguans and participate in public events, the more impressed I am by how extraordinarily productive and fluid are the daily interactions between our two peoples.

We are more than just hemispheric neighbors.

Half a million Nicaraguans live in the United States, sending back $500 million each year in remittances.

Thousands of Americans live and work in Nicaragua, many engaged in humanitarian assistance and economic development projects, and many thousands more visit your lovely cities, lakes, and beaches.

These ties enrich our personal experiences and help us to appreciate each other’s culture and customs and, yes, idiosyncrasies.  They make us more tolerant and lead to mutual understanding, which is, on its most elemental level, what diplomacy is all about.

Again, thank you all for coming.  I look forward to greeting those of you whom I have not yet met.