Speeches by US Embassy officials

Remarks by Charge d'Affaires Jonathan Moore at the Opening of the Earth Day Photo Exhibition

Minsk, Belarus
April 22, 2008

As Chargé d'Affaires of the United States of America in Belarus, it is a special pleasure to welcome you to this exhibition. 

Illustrating the culture and perspectives of the United States is one of the key responsibilities of our Embassy.  For example, the Embassy since 1991 has hosted numerous cultural programs, including performances by dancers and musicians from the United States and from Belarus, and has sponsored over 2,100 persons in exchange programs ranging from the fields of culture and education to agricultural development.

Today, on Earth Day -- which was founded in the United States 38 years ago -- we are here to show the original and talented work of over 80 Belarusian photographers.  A distinguished jury chose the winning pictures from over 300 works.  These impressive photographs show the beauty and power of the natural world, those eternal values, that we should all cherish and protect.

I would like to extend the thanks of the Embassy to Director Svetlana Savchik, Nelli Buravskaya, and the staff of the Pobeda theater for their assistance and kind hospitality.  I thank as well professional photographers/photoartists Vladimir Parfenka and Denis Romanyuk for their expert evaluation of the photographs.  I think that they will also say a few words.  I hope that you all like the exhibition.

Thank you for attending and for your attention.