¡Buenas tardes a todas y todos! During Vice President Kamala Harris’ visit to Tegucigalpa for the historic inauguration of President Castro, they announced the bilateral strategic dialogue.
After some months of planning, the first dialogue took place last April in Washington, D.C. shortly after I arrived as the U.S. Ambassador to Honduras.
That was nearly nine months ago.
But despite how quickly the time has passed, no one can doubt that we have accomplished a lot.
Today’s strategic and human rights dialogues allow both governments to take stock of what we have achieved, where we have fallen short, and what we need to do to move forward together as partners.
Let’s all take a moment to reflect on what we accomplished today.
The dialogues were substantive.
They underscored the close relationship, trust, and mutual goals our two governments share.
More than anything, the dialogues showed our mutual commitment to improving the lives of Hondurans through concrete action.
We should all be proud of that.
I appreciated the discussion today on expanding good governance, increasing economic opportunities for all Hondurans, advancing human and labor rights, and improving citizen security.
We have identified our priorities and built a road map to guide our work over the next year.
Now, we must continue working on these issues together so that all Hondurans find prosperity, safety, and fulfillment for themselves and their families.
Once again, I thank President Castro, Foreign Minister Reina, Minister Cardona, and Presidential Secretary Zelaya for hosting these dialogues.
Under Secretary Zeya, thank you for leading the large U.S. delegation today.
The logistics of big visits are never easy, and definitely come with their share of late nights, far too many emails and WhatsApp messages.
But now the real hard work begins. The team at the U.S. Embassy is ready to work with you so that both Honduras and the United States can salir adelante.
Whether you travelled here just a handful of kilometers or thousands of miles, our work today is worth celebrating.
We look forward to celebrating with you tonight at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
¡Gracias!
