Embassy Press Release

REMARKS OF AMBASSADOR NICHOLAS F. TAUBMAN ON THE OCCASION OF THE USTDA GRANT SIGNINGS

September 24, 2007

Mr. Minister;
Madame State Secretary;
Ladies and Gentleman

I’m very pleased to be here this morning to take part in the signing of two U.S. Trade and Development Agency grants.

It is an honor to have two friends of ours here with me today. Thank you again, Minister Adomnitei, for taking part. Likewise, thank you, Secretary Varga.

The two grants we are signing today represent over $750,000 in support. They represent the U.S. government’s continuing commitment to Romania after its accession to the European Union.

We are delighted to be among Romania’s partners in improving its educational system and its environment.

Today, it gives me great pleasure to join the Ministry of Education, Research and Youth in fostering innovation and economic progress.

A communications network enabling students and professionals to access common resources and interact with one another represents a major step toward a functional knowledge economy; it will enhance the quality of education, create greater distance-learning opportunities, and smooth the transition between academia and professional life for finishing students.

As part of its National Development Plan for 2007-2013, the Government of Romania expressed interest in a comprehensive upgrade to existing IT networks across the nation.

This grant will provide technical assistance toward that end, creating an Integrated Network for Education and Technologies (INET) that will boost the capability of telecommunications infrastructure to link schools, universities and research centers.

As this nationwide overhaul comes to fruition, students will find themselves with a better understanding of the skills that they need to compete in a knowledge-based economy, while research organizations, private firms and government offices will find incoming employees better prepared to tackle new challenges and maximize the benefits of enhanced interconnectivity.

I am also pleased to announce a partnership between our Trade and Development Agency and the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development to begin work on a project to help protect Romania’s Black Sea coastline.

A computer modeling system allowing scientists and engineers to monitor erosion along the Black Sea coast represents a crucial first step in the restoration process envisioned by the Government of Romania. This program will allow users to study erosion dynamics unique to the region, and to begin planning for structural and other erosion control measures.

This Integrated Coastal Zone Modeling System will be a crucial analytical tool its success will steer practical approaches to the protection of the Danube River Delta wetlands, preventing erosion at major coastal tourist resorts, and conserving a healthy, biologically diverse aquatic environment.

The Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, with the help of USAID under a previously sponsored coastal sediment management program, designed a four-phase program to identify and address Romania’s environmental challenges on its Black Sea coastline. The funds granted today will provide technical assistance for Phase I of that program.

We believe that this technical assistance will help the Ministry achieve its objective of designing the envisioned modeling system, and that Romania will benefit as a result thereof.

back to top ^