Mr. Minister of Culture and Communication
Mrs. Government Members
Ladies and Gentlemen

We hope that this exposition tells you a lot about our long history, which was dominated by the words: diversity, struggle, compromise, sacrifice. We hope that you will be able to get how heavy and hard was the struggle that we made for live, and for spreading out our ideas.

We are very happy to see today that we share our ideas with the citicizens of our new partener, Mauritania, in a big and endless experience, called democracy.  Mauritania, nowdays, is in an important phase of its history, similar to the phase in which were the United States many centries ago.  Along on its way, it will face a lot challenges, optimism and certitude to win.

For you ! My Mauritanian friends, you will see through this exposition, even the place and the time are different, that we are, all Mauritanians and Americans, guided by the same aspiration.

I hope that you will appreciate the exposition.

I thank you.

Steven Koutsis,
Chargé d’Affaires par intérim de l’Ambassade des
Etats-Unis d’Amérique en Mauritanie
Nouakchott, July 4, 2007.