Hello. It’s so nice to be here and to see so many smiling faces. Thank you so much to Amazon for the invitation. It’s great to have had the minister (Burduja) here as well, who plays such an important role in digitalization.
I want to thank you on behalf of my team, who is also with me here, today, from the Embassy, for the warm reception.
Today is obviously, as we heard, a big day for Iasi and for Amazon, and I think this event highlights the company’s success in Iasi in particular and showcasing this brand-new facility.
I understand that this new location is allowing employees to work together more collaborative, closer to spark creativity and that’s a great benefit and I think very much welcomed after long lockdown we all endured for many years.
For us, at the U.S. Embassy, we see this as another crucial step in the extension and strengthening of U.S. – Romania partnership, our Strategic Partnership we have currently celebrating 25 now going on 26 years. I hope you will have the chance to visit the exhibit that we just opened yesterday in front of the Palace of Culture that kind of brings to life some of the great developments throughout that period.
Seeing Romania move toward institutional and public digitalization is inspiring; to see it done in partnership with a leading private sector company such as Amazon is all the more so.
I was told originally that 1,300 SMEs in Romania use Amazon for their business, now I gather it’s even more than that, it’s 1,750, so it’s growing all the time, and it’s so exciting to know that 4,000 jobs have been created by Amazon here, in Romania. It is great to see that positive impact and today I was hearing how people are even coming back to Romania, in Iasi, to work in these jobs, so that’s really encouraging.
Romania is known as both a prime market for American products and an emergent strategic hub for U.S. multinationals. Welcoming U.S. investment in high-tech sectors, as the Romanian government has done, boosts Romania’s economy, helps employ its incredibly talented workforce, and drives the engine of its own export sector. Thank you to our Romanian colleagues who have opened the door to American investment. It is clear that our aspirations and vision align.
To our Amazon hosts—congratulations. Your company is well-reputed as a driver for positive change powered by innovation and technology. And today, we all stand in a beautiful physical testament to your successes and vision.
This is much more than a working space—it is the laboratory in which your teams can engage in cutting-edge research, promote innovation-driven industries, and cultivate the collaborative ecosystem needed for sustainable development. It is also a regional symbol and monument to the blessings of collaboration between our nations and what we can accomplish together.
Likewise, it is always inspiring to see leading companies that walk the walk when it comes to sustainability and corporate social responsibility.
In this regard, I would like to express our gratitude to the Amazon Development Center Romania for its unwavering partnership with the Iasi Community Foundation… an organization dedicated to promoting education, environmental conservation, and community well-being.
Moreover, we are grateful for the ongoing support to Ukrainian refugees in the face of Russian aggression in Ukraine. I understand that nearly one-and-a-half million dollars has been donated to Romanian and Moldovan charities working to lessen the suffering of the victims of Putin’s war.
Close collaboration has brought us to this point. Leading U.S. companies possess the requisite expertise and resources to help Romania further recognize its competitive advantages and become a true European technology and IT hub.
Our Embassy, our Foreign Commercial Service, and all of our dedicated professionals will continue to work tirelessly to strengthen our commercial relationship and every aspect of our Strategic Partnership—and days such as today reassure them all that their efforts have incredible impact.
So thank you all for the invitation, mult succes and we look forward to working together in the future.
