US Ambassador Named AMCHAM Honorary Chairman at ABAL Lunch

On Wednesday 6 April 2022, the American Chamber of Commerce in Luxembourg (AMCHAM) held an in-person ABAL luncheon with special guest Thomas "Tom" Barrett, the new United States (US) Ambassador to Luxembourg, at Cercle Munster in Luxembourg-Grund.

Around 50 AMCHAM members and guests of various nationalities and ages attended this event, including the Spanish, Romanian and Czech Ambassadors to Luxembourg, the Trade and Investment Adviser at the British Embassy in Luxembourg and the CEO and the Director of Charity and Promotion of Schengen-based family business PM-International AG, among others.

In his welcoming address, Paul Schonenberg, CEO and Chairman of AMCHAM, emphasised that everyone present at this event was "worth knowing". He went on to explain that this event was mainly about introducing the new US Ambassador to members of Luxembourg's business community and vice versa.

Ambassador Barrett, who presented his diplomatic credentials to His Royal Highness the Grand Duke of Luxembourg on 10 February 2022, first spoke of his experience as the longest-serving mayor of one of the 50 largest cities in the US, Milwaukee (2004-2021). He noted: "I have been a student of government my entire career but never a diplomat", adding that there were some similarities between the role of a mayor and that of an ambassador.

The US Ambassador lamented that young people today had experienced "two years of essentially a locked down society" due to the COVID-19 pandemic and were now living through "the largest war effort In Europe since 1945". On the subject of the Russia-Ukraine war, Ambassador Barrett asked the questions: "How do we navigate this world? What can we do as a society, [what can] governments do to stop the war and end the pandemic and let ten year olds do what they should do: go out and play with friends?"

He described Russia's aggression against Ukraine over the past six weeks as "a direct challenge by [Vladimir] Putin to the EU, NATO and the US". Nevertheless, the US Ambassador said that he was "very pleased" with the response of the US, the EU and specifically the Luxembourg Government, which he felt had come as a surprise to the Russian President: "He underestimated the ability of the EU to react as decisively and as unitedly as it has". The challenge remains, however, as to "how to make sure the sanctions are applied throughout the world". 

Regarding Russian aggression as a challenge to NATO, Ambassador Barrett said that there would most likely be some "soul searching" over the next couple of years concerning where NATO is today and where it wants to be. He spoke of the added challenge of encouraging countries to commit to spending 2% of their GDP on defence by 2024, as agreed previously. He added that there would be opportunities for "different countries to do different things" in this regard, depending on their strengths, particularly highlighting Luxembourg's space industry.

Returning to the subject of his new role in Luxembourg, Ambassador Barrett said that it was "a dream come true". He described the Grand Duchy as "a walking UN", adding that people everywhere have similar goals (working, having "a meaningful life" and spending time with family); it is important to focus on what unites rather than divides us, particularly in the current context.

Throughout the event, guests enjoyed a three-course meal, which included a pea soup, a fish dish and apple crumble with vanilla ice cream, accompanied by wine and followed by tea and coffee.

Paul Schonenberg concluded the event by expressing his gratitude to the new US Ambassador for "sharing from [his] heart". He also took the opportunity to announce the appointment of Ambassador Barrett as Honorary Chairman of AMCHAM – the first time an ambassador has been asked (and accepted) to take on such a role within the chamber.