Welcoming our new Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM)

Personnel transitions are an integral part of embassy life, and one of the most important is the arrival of a new DCM.  This week we hosted a formal welcome for Paul O'Friel and his wife Grace. They've been here for about one month, and it is fairly clear that they are quite taken by Iceland's natural beauty, weather, and most importantly by its people. I know that Paul and Grace will do their utmost to build many more bridges between Iceland and the United States.

NASDAQ picks Iceland for worldwide conference

This week we welcomed the opportunity to address a NASDAQ-hosted semi-annual conference which brings up to 100 financial market experts from all over the world to share best practices in regulating exchanges. We had a chance to lay out our perspective on the Icelandic economy and the opportunity it presents for NASDAQ OMX to increase the capitalization of Icelandic firms. NASDAQ is an excellent vehicle to support Iceland’s economic recovery.

The Ice Circle initiative taking shape

We attended the closing of the working group meeting organizing the Ice Circle Initiative, which brings together a group of NGOs led by Iceland’s Vox Naturae, governments, the World Bank, and other multilateral organizations. The Ice Circle is focusing on mobilizing international public awareness and policymakers to address the disappearing ice and shifting snow cover due to climate change. It is quite sobering to know that ice and snow today account for up to one-third of the planet’s total land surface and are crucial to ecosystems.

The Syria Crisis as Seen from our Embassy in Reykjavik

I have observed with interest the public debate in Iceland about the crisis in Syria and it seems that, on balance, Icelanders and Americans are grappling with many of the same dilemmas:  How to stop the slaughter of innocent civilians by the Assad regime without causing further suffering?  How to stop the use of chemical weapons by a regime that until recently had never acknowledged having them?  How to test whether Assad is serious about turning his chemical weapons over to the international community?  Should U.S. efforts to build an international consensus be supported?  These are all valid questions that need to be addressed carefully.  In doing so, I would urge Icelanders to examine the path taken by President Obama and to think about the case that President Obama made to the American people last night. Click to watch the Presidents remarks. He closed his remarks with this:  “America is not the world’s policeman.  Terrible things happen across the globe, and it is beyond our means to right every wrong.  But when, with modest effort and risk, we can stop children from being gassed to death, and thereby make our own children safer over the long run, I believe we should act.  That’s what makes America different.  That’s what makes us exceptional.  With humility, but with resolve, let us never lose sight of that essential truth.”

Remembering our shared sacrifices

Recently I had the opportunity to visit Hinrik Steinsson who is an avid collector of World War II memorabilia.  We were duly impressed with the quality and breadth of his collection, especially since all of it has a connection to Iceland.  One of his most significant pieces was a letter signed by President Roosevelt to a General who had served as commander of the U.S. forces in Iceland during the war.  These pieces of memorabilia are reminders of the shared sacrifices that Iceland and the United States endured during that terrible war.

Oooooohhhh Bacon!

For the third year in a row a group of very enthusiastic and energetic Iowans descended upon Iceland and joined with an equally passionate group of Icelanders to celebrate the very popular Reykjavik Bacon Festival.  The event, which attracted thousands of Icelanders to Skólavörðustígur, offered a taste of bacon and many other delicacies in a festive environment for the whole family. This year, Members of the Board of Bacon and their Icelandic partners were received and welcomed by the Prime Minister. This event came together as a result of the personal connections between Iowans and Icelanders established through educational exchanges many years ago. Next year’s event promises to be even bigger.

Leifur Eiríksson’s legacy honored through educational exchanges

This weekend Mary and I had the honor of participating in a dinner with the Board of the Leifur Eiríksson Foundation; we also met a group of outstanding American and Icelandic students who have benefitted from the Foundation’s scholarship program. The Foundation was established on the occasion that marked the millennium since Leifur Eiríksson’s voyage to Vínland (currently known as North America). The Icelandic Central Bank and the U.S. Congress partnered to mint silver coins to commemorate the event. Proceeds from the sale of those coins were used to establish the Leifur Eiríksson Foundation and its fund for educational exchanges. Since 2001, more than students from the United States and Iceland have received scholarships to attend each other’s universities to pursue graduate studies in a broad range of fields. While the sale of the coins provided the basis for this fund, its ongoing ability to expand its excellent work relies on the generosity of American and Icelandic individuals, organizations and corporations that believe in the power of educational exchange to change lives and build connections between our nations. This is another example of how deep and important the ties between our countries really are.