speeches 2007

Remarks by U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Jeffrey D. Feltman; American Corner Inauguration

September 19, 2007

Mr. Elie Skaff, Member of Parliament;
Mr. Assaad Zogheib, head of Municipal Council;
Members of the Municipal Council of Zahle;
Zahle residents:

I am delighted to be with you in Zahle today to open the newest American Corner in Lebanon.  Zahle now joins a network of three other American Corners throughout the country.  By inaugurating your American Corner, I am inviting you to discover more about America’s culture, history, geography, and arts.  But our gift of reference materials is only one symbol of the sincere and long-lasting friendship between our two peoples, American and Lebanese.

Choosing Zahle as our newest site for an American Corner was not difficult given the history of cooperation between the Embassy and the Municipal Council.  First, it’s important to note that this building once housed one of five John F. Kennedy Libraries in Lebanon.  After its closure in 1960, the books and equipment remained in Zahle so patrons of the Public Library could study and research in their own community without having to travel to Beirut. 

In addition, the people of Zahle have welcomed cooperation with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to improve the area’s educational, agricultural, and health sectors.  I am proud to say that total USAID project funding in Zahle in the past two years exceeds 4.7 million dollars.  We also send each year residents from Zahle and the surrounding areas to the United States on student and professional exchanges. In fact, Mayor Zogheib is an alumnus of our International Visitor and Leadership Program.