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Ambassador-designate James Carew Rosapepe Statement at confirmation hearing, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Washington, DC, October 23, 1997

As Prepared for Delivery

Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee: Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today. I am profoundly honored by the decision of President Clinton and Secretary Albright to nominate me to serve as United States Ambassador to Romania.

I'd like to introduce my wife, Sheilah Kast and my sister, Decie Bodwell.

As the grandchild of immigrants from nations that suffered under communist and fascist regimes, I have had a longstanding interest in the development and preservation of democratic institutions. Indeed, I was born in Italy in 1951 while my parents were working as journalists covering, among other things, the consolidation of democracy in that nation in the face of its fascist legacy and the communist challenge. I have devoted a significant part of my career to public service, first as a Congressional staffer and now, for the past 11 years, as a member of the Maryland House of Delegates. Since the beginning of this decade, I have sought opportunities to participate in American efforts to help citizens of the formerly communist countries of central Europe and the New Independent States make the economic and political changes required to integrate their nations into the democratic and market-oriented framework of the West.

For example, as a state legislator and as an individual, I have been deeply involved in creating, managing, and participating in exchange programs with a wide variety of countries in the region. As Chair of Maryland's St. Petersburg/Leningrad Oblast Sister State Committee, I have represented the state in St. Petersburg and the Oblast with top government and business leaders, hosted the Oblast governor in Maryland, and overseen coordination of educational, cultural, and legal exchange programs. Earlier this year, I served as a member of the U.S. State Department observer team for the Croatian elections for local governments and the upper house of Parliament. Through a variety of exchange programs, I have briefed and mentored private and public sector officials from central and southern Europe.

I also have been involved in investment activities in southern Europe. Currently, I serve pro bono as an active member of the Board of Directors of the Albanian American Enterprise Fund. In this position, I chaired the committee that recommended its top staff, have worked closely with the State Department, USAID, and the Government of Albania, and, as investment committee chair, led the board in the development of its investment policy and its evaluation of each major investment.

In recent years, Romania has made real progress on democratic reforms and demonstrating its desire to integrate itself into the West. For example, Romania was the first country to join the Partnership for Peace. It contributed troops to IFOR in Bosnia, reached an historic accord with Hungary, and consistently supported U.S. policy initiatives in the UN.

As a result, bilateral relations have improved steadily. The U.S. has provided assistance to economic and political reforms through SEED and other programs. We also actively have supported Romania's outreach to its neighbors. An important symbol of our improving relations was the U.S. decision in 1996 to restore permanent MFN status, which had long been a bilateral irritant and symbol of U.S. concern about Romanian policies.

The November 1996 elections were a turning point for Romania and marked a new stage in U.S.-Romanian relations. The Romanian people chose a coalition government led by the reformist center-right Democratic Convention under President Constantinescu. The new government quickly launched an ambitious economic reform program, addressed endemic ethnic minority concerns, pledged to root out corruption, and played an active role in promoting peace and security in southeastern Europe.

Today we enjoy a close relationship with Romania, based on our mutual desire to see their economic and political reforms succeed and for Romania take its rightful place among the family of flourishing European democracies.

In June, the Vice President announced our acceptance of the concept of a U.S.-Romania Strategic Partnership, which President Clinton publicly endorsed during his July visit. It is focused on strengthening U.S.-Romania bilateral relations, providing political and programmatic support for Romania to keep it on track for NATO membership, and developing Romania's role in fostering stability and democracy in southeastern Europe. As a legislator myself, albeit on the state level, I believe strongly in executive-legislative cooperation. If confirmed by the United States Senate, I look forward to working with you and your colleagues as I represent our nation in Romania in efforts to strengthen the strategic partnership between our nations and to project our values of democracy, human rights, and freedom. Thank you for your courtesy and your consideration of my nomination.

[End of Document]

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