speeches
Ambassador Timken
Opening of the New Frankfurt Consulate General Office Building
Frankfurt
October 31, 2005
It is with great pride that I join you today at the official opening of the new building for the American Consulate General in Frankfurt. My congratulations go to those of you who directly or indirectly were involved in the extensive renovation and new building that has taken place. I want to particularly single out Consul General Bodde for his endless efforts to make this a model of efficiency and effectiveness. To those of you who will be working in this building or coming to it for business or services or knowledge, I say welcome. This is our new home.
This new facility is a fitting symbol of the importance the United States attaches to the German-American partnership. Home to the Consulate General, a Regional Support Center and numerous agencies with regional responsibilities in Europe and Eurasia, Africa, and the Middle East, it provides the infrastructure for a secure and cost-effective diplomatic presence overseas. We are proud the Mission in Germany can host this innovative concept of the US government. This facility is essential in order to address the broad spectrum of global challenges in the 21st century.
Germany is our ally and partner in that agenda. President Bush's visit to Mainz in February was a clear sign of the importance he attaches to Germany. Together we are working to advance freedom and democratic reform, promote prosperity and development, and to counter terrorism and nuclear proliferation around the world.
As the representative of the president, my mandate is to maximize that renewed spirit of common purpose - what we call the spirit of Mainz. We have been given new and challenging work for 2005 and beyond. As I like to say, we are looking out the front window of the car, not the rear window.
In this age of thirty-second sound bites and a 24-hour news cycle, it is very easy, however, to fall back on convenient labels and familiar stereotypes. In the last two months, I have had the opportunity to meet many Germans - of all ages, political persuasions and occupations. I have met with government Ministers - past, present, and future - with CEOs, engineers, bankers, soldiers, teachers, students, artists, members of the media, and many others. I have discovered that the German-American relationship is far stronger, more vital, more positive than public perceptions would have us believe. Misconceptions of each other's policies and goals do not do justice to the mutual respect our two countries and our peoples continue to share.
So here is a sound bite and this beautiful atrium, the core of the new consular section, is the photo opportunity. Our message is loud and clear: Germany is a vital partner that we rely on and trust. Nothing illustrates how seriously the U.S. takes this relationship more than the new Consulate General Office Building in Frankfurt. It is one of the largest U.S. diplomatic facilities overseas. As a regional center, it will handle important logistical aspects of U.S. diplomacy in Europe, Africa, and parts of the Middle East.
Countless observers have remarked upon the relationship between the United States and Germany. It is truly a unique relationship and one of the greatest success stories in modern history. It is, however, also clear that we cannot afford to rest on past achievements, or hope that the current political, economic and social challenges will be self-correcting. We must continue to find ways to coordinate and work together for our common good.
Just a few weeks ago, many of you here today attended the ceremony marking the transfer of the Rhein-Main Air Base to the Frankfurt International Airport. By centralizing activities in Ramstein, the United States Air Force upgraded the command's airlift support capability. The transition was part of a larger strategy to strengthen and prepare NATO - our most important transatlantic bridge - for new challenges, including counter-terrorism and peace-keeping missions in Afghanistan, the Balkans, and elsewhere to protect freedom inside and outside Europe.
The transfer of a military base to an economic development has tremendous symbolism for me. The military secures the peace so economic growth and improvement in people's standards of living can occur. This is our ultimate goal - a better life for people.
The new beginning that we celebrate today is part of the same process. This consulate is all about civilian life and promoting a better life for people.
One thing that will not change, however; and this, I guarantee, is our commitment to service.
As we gather today in this beautiful atrium, I want to take note of what normally goes on here when we are not displacing our consular section clients with ceremonial events. In this new location, businesspeople, students and visitors will have a pleasant and efficient environment in which to apply for their visas. This is where U.S. passport applications and reports of births will be handled. Our Office of Citizenship and Immigration Services is co-located here. Clients who require services from that office and from the Consular section can take care of business in one location. Consular officers working in this building are also on the front line of efforts to improve the security of our visa process. Our collaboration with Germany is part of a wider effort to make travel safe and secure.
In conclusion, let me emphasize that the move of the Frankfurt Consulate General, like the closure of the Rhein-Main Air Base, does not mean that we are re-trenching. Far from it. We are modernizing, consolidating, and, here at this facility, expanding. Before the move to this new facility, we had staff spread around six different locations in Frankfurt. By bringing them together, we can focus more attention on our partnership, and in fact, deepen our ties to Frankfurt and Germany. One-stop shopping is the analogy.
Public diplomacy initiatives will carry on -- in the fine tradition of the Amerika Haus. Public diplomacy has been assigned the highest priority by President Bush and Secretary of State Rice. It is my job as Ambassador, Consul General Bodde's job, the job of all of us in Mission Germany, to use the tools of public diplomacy -- exchanges, speaker programs, the electronic resources of the Information Resource Center, websites, webchats, library partnerships -- to foster greater inter-personal communication between Germany and the United States. As President Bush reminded us last February, the German-American relationship, our friendship, is founded on much more than nostalgia.
At a time when rumor reaches mass audiences in seconds and we are forced to compete for attention in the midst of an information explosion, communicating that message is vital to the success of our partnership.
So, in closing. Rest assured. We will continue to seek opportunities to expand the contacts between the peoples of our two great nations as we put in place the effective and efficient infrastructure we need to address the challenges and opportunities of the future. It is essential to peace and prosperity across the globe.
Thank you.
