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This is an archived USAID document retained on this web site as a matter of public record.
Statement of Donald L. Pressley,
before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
Assistant Administrator-designate,
Bureau for Europe and the New Independent States
June 9, 1999
Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you as President Clinton’s nominee for Assistant Administrator of the Bureau for Europe and the New Independent States at the United States Agency for International Development.
The challenges facing us in Europe and the New Independent States (ENI) are as formidable as they are fluid. I pledge to this committee, as I have pledged to Brian Atwood, the Administrator of USAID, and to the President, that I will apply my 25 years of international experience to ensure that these challenges are met with efficiency, creativity and accountability.
Mr. Chairman, this is an uncertain time for this region. Ethnic conflict in the Balkans - in Bosnia as well as Kosovo - threatens to spread to neighboring countries. The financial crisis in Russia has affected the markets of the region. Yet, because the countries of the ENI region are so important to our own economic and foreign policy objectives, it is in our best interest to help these countries make a successful transition to free, market-oriented democracies with vibrant economies, open political systems, and strong civil societies. This is USAID’s goal.
We have been working hard these past few years to implement this goal, and we have learned some important lessons - lessons that we will apply to our ongoing efforts in the region.
We have learned that economic reform cannot lead to sustained economic growth without corresponding political reform, and that a lack of basic social services threatens both.
We have learned that the key to modernization is not just better management and financial systems, but also sound, transparent legal and regulatory frameworks.
We have learned that independence and the allure of market-based prosperity cannot alone prevent war, civil strife, and corruption.
But most of all, we have learned that sustainable development is always a long-term endeavor, and that it cannot be achieved without the support of the people.
So these are the challenges we face. Now - what is our strategy? What can we look forward to in the years to come?
My overarching goal for our bureau will be to establish sustainable partnerships - both between people and organizations in the United States and the ENI countries as well as among the ENI countries themselves. The truth is we all have a lot to learn from one another, and the partnership model, by moving away from the traditional donor-recipient relationship, allows us to do so.
I will work to ensure that our assistance reaches citizens living outside Moscow, Tirana, Kiev, and other metropolitan areas. Our goal is to improve the lives of all people, not just those living in and around capitals and large cities.
I want to help American businesses find opportunities in Central and Eastern Europe and the NIS. I also want to continue to improve the way we do business, to learn from our experience, and to stretch the effectiveness of taxpayer dollars by leveraging private funds.
I will work with the Coordinators Larry Napper and Bill Taylor and the many excellent Ambassadors in the region, some of whom are here with me today, to achieve our foreign policy objectives. I will also work to forge strong ties between our bureau and the State Department and our bureau and Members of Congress. The magnitude of the task before us is daunting, and I think the best way to tackle it is by working together.
Mr. Chairman, fifty years after the implementation of the Marshall Plan, one of the most important challenges facing America is again the restoration of Europe - this time the Eastern half, with the NIS added on. I believe USAID and our bureau have the tools, the skills, and the experience necessary to rise to this newest challenge. We can and will play a central role in the transformation of these countries. If confirmed, it will be my privilege to help move this process forward.
Thank you again for the opportunity to appear before you today, and thank you for your consideration of my candidacy for this important post. I look forward to working with you, should you decide to honor me with confirmation of my nomination.
This is an archived USAID document retained on this web site as a matter of public record.
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Last Updated on: July 18, 2001 |
