Speeches

Remarks by Mr. Emile Corneille, OBO Representative

March 26, 2008

Good afternoon and welcome:
Presidents, Prime Minister, Ministers, Ambassador English, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, and U.S. Embassy personnel,

On behalf of the Director and Chief Operating Officer of the Overseas Buildings Operations, and Secretary Rice, I want to thank you all for joining us today to celebrate the groundbreaking for the new Embassy Compound of the United States of America in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

This facility will be a fitting symbol of the United States’ commitment to a permanent presence in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as our close bilateral relationship with the government of Bosnia and Herzegovina.  We appreciate the vital support offered by the host government, and all who helped make this day possible.

The completion of this new diplomatic compound centrally located in Marijin dvor area, will represent a major step forward in our ability to represent United States’ interests, and to deliver service to United States’ citizens who travel to Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as Bosnian and Herzegovinian citizens seeking to travel to the United States.  This new facility will meet our chancery needs for the foreseeable future.

Here are some interesting facts about the new embassy compound project in Sarajevo.  It will provide 11,000 gross square meters of safe, secure and functional space for our American and local employees.

To give you an idea of the scope of the project, over 14,000 cubic meters of concrete and 2,000 tons of steel will be used in the construction.  The construction contract value for this project is: $94,103,684 of which some 15 to 20 percent will be spent in the local economy.  The design incorporates water treatment plant and emergency generators that will supply redundant power to the project.

The new compound will be constructed to both American, and Bosnian and Herzegovinian building standards by Caddell Construction Company, represented today by Kirby Caddell, Rod Cesar and Zafir Gur. It will be a state-of-the-art facility that will include both United States’ and local design elements.

The security of not only the American and local employees who will work here, but also the visitors that will come to this mission, is paramount. For this reason, we have designed this compound to meet the highest standards for fire safety and physical security.

Now, I would like to recognize my OBO Project Director, Lawson Young.  Lawson is OBO’s representative in Sarajevo. He will oversee the construction and design work by the building contractor, and all aspects of the project with the Embassy and local authorities.

In conclusion, on behalf of the Director and Chief Operating Officer of the Overseas Buildings Operations, and Secretary Rice, I again want to thank the government of Bosnia and Herzegovina for its cooperation, and all of the employees from the Embassy and OBO who have worked so hard to make this day a reality.

Presidents, Prime Minister, Ministers, Ambassador English, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, and U.S. Embassy personnel, I declare this site ready for construction.

Thank you.