From USA-ITA OFF THE CUFF for May 3, 2013
Our ties with our friends on the other side of the Atlantic are strong—and our industry in particular is excited about the prospect of deepening that relationship with the Transatlantic Trade & Investment Partnership (TTIP) between the United States and the European Union. On May 1st, USA-ITA Communications Director Samantha Sault attended the Atlantic Council’s Distinguished Leadership Awards in Washington, D.C.—and though honorees Secretary Hillary Clinton and Tony Bennett were certainly the stars of the evening, the talk was all transatlantic trade.
The Atlantic Council was founded in 1961 with the mission of promoting transatlantic cooperation and international security. Its members have included some of the most distinguished foreign policy leaders who work to engage the United States and European Union in dialogue about important issues, and today the organization is chaired by former National Security Adviser Brent Scowcroft and led by Frederick Kempe, a former “Wall Street Journal” editor and author of “BERLIN 1961: Kennedy, Khrushchev and the Most Dangerous Place on Earth.” To achieve its mission, the Council has many programs on international security, transatlantic relations, global business, and more, as well as a new program launched during the awards dinner, the Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center, devoted to broadening that transatlantic relationship.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton receives the Atlantic Council's Distinguished International Leadership Award.
The dinner—which some now call the real “power dinner” after Hollywood leaves Washington after the White House Correspondents’ Dinner—has grown in importance over the years with its dual mission to support the Council’s programs and award distinguished leaders on both sides of the Atlantic. This year, the Council awarded Secretary Hillary Clinton and NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen with the Distinguished International Leadership Award.
In their remarks, both honorees touted the importance of transatlantic trade, and in particular, the forthcoming TTIP negotiations. Secretary General Rasmussen said, “I welcome the launch of talks on a transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. This will stimulate jobs, innovation, growth. And in a world where not all play by the same rules, it will ensure that we continue to set global standards.” And, Secretary Clinton agreed, noting, “We can't afford to let the greatest alliance in history slide into irrelevance.”
Additional awardees included Chevron CEO John S. Watson, who applauded American businesses for spreading American values across the globe, as well as Tony Bennett, awarded for his humanitarian work, and Juanes, a Colombian rock musician and social activist who has won over 20 Grammy Awards, too.
Tony Bennett accepts the Atlantic Council's Distinguished Artistic Leadership Award.
The evening—which was also attended by Washington’s biggest power players including Dr. Henry Kissinger, former USTR Carla Hills, Alan Greenspan, Andrea Mitchell, Chris Matthews, and numerous diplomats, to name a few—concluded with a special duet by Bennett and Juanes.
Atlantic Council honorees and speakers