AMCHAM: You are assuming the responsibility to run the U.S. Embassy in Luxembourg. Please clarify for us and our readers your title and duties.
Casey Mace: I now serve as the “Chargé d’Affaires” of the U.S. Embassy until a new Ambassador is confirmed and presents credentials to the Luxembourg Government. The “Chargé d’ Affaires” is the traditional title given to a diplomat who serves as an Embassy’s Chief of Mission in the absence of the Ambassador. I have actually served in this position every time the Ambassador previously left Luxembourg for official or personal business. Essentially, I’ll be acting in the capacity of the head of the Embassy, representing the United States’ interests in Luxembourg. In this role, I look forward to getting to know more AmCham members and supporting your members’ efforts to strengthen the economic ties between the U.S. and Luxembourg.
AMCHAM: Now that there has been a change of administration, what changes in policies do you anticipate related to the change of administration to a new President and new Secretary of State?
Casey Mace: President Biden, Vice President Harris, and their Cabinet nominees have emphasized a focus on our core values– a commitment to democracy, human rights, religious freedom and regional cooperation and defence. In his own words, President Biden said, “America has been tested and we have come out stronger for it. We will repair our alliances and engage with the world once again. Not to meet yesterday’s challenges, but today’s and tomorrows. We will lead not merely by the example of our power but by the power of our example. We will be a strong and trusted partner for peace, progress, and security.”
President Biden and his new Administration have hit the ground running with a series of new policies that stake out more engagement and leadership for the United States on the international stage, from taking steps to resuming U.S. membership in the World Health Organization to re-joining the Paris Climate Agreement.
More generally, the new Administration seems poised to continue to promote democracy at home and abroad; focus on infrastructure investments in the United States; re-assess current trade relationships abroad; increase spending on clean energy; mitigate climate change; enhance security and non-proliferation; speak out against trafficking in persons; and solidify historic partnerships with long-time allies. Many of these focus areas present great opportunities for U.S. business interests in Luxembourg and Europe.
AMCHAM: What current projects, issues and challenges are under active discussion between the US and Luxembourg and how will this change of administration impact these discussions?
Casey Mace: The U.S. Embassy has a strong team with extensive relationships throughout Luxembourg that will continue to allow us to promote U.S. interests and strengthen ties between our countries. We have worked very closely with Luxembourg on space cooperation, with Luxembourg becoming one of the first nations to sign the Artemis Accords
– a framework of principles for the return of humans to the moon. The Embassy has promoted Luxembourg investment in the U.S. space economy, and U.S. firms have invested in Luxembourg’s burgeoning space industry as well. Space is an important foreign policy priority moving forward, and we will continue to focus on these efforts in the coming years.
We continue to engage Luxembourg on ways to adapt the U.S.-EU relationship to ensure our U.S. economic interests can thrive and grow in Europe. In addition, we will continue to work with Luxembourg on promoting religious freedom and congratulate Luxembourg’s government on signing an Agreement with the Grand Duchy’s Jewish Community on Outstanding Holocaust Assets. We also have a number of projects related to our alliance activities to ensure that NATO remains the premier defensive alliance in the world.
AMCHAM: What is the risk that the U.S. Embassy in Luxembourg will experience budget reductions or a descoping of activities and become more subordinate to the U.S. Embassy in Brussels?
Casey Mace: The United States began diplomatic relations with Luxembourg in 1903. Since then, we have had U.S. Ambassadors to Luxembourg and the Netherlands, to the Luxembourg Government in Exile, and to Belgium and Luxembourg, but from 1956, we have had Ambassadors accredited only to the Grand Duchy. There is no indication that our diplomatic posture will change. Luxembourg is an important EU member and NATO Ally, and the Government of the United States believes it is important to retain diplomatic relations with an Ambassador and Embassy in the country.
AMCHAM: To what extent is the U.S. Embassy in Luxembourg involved with issues related to European Commission activities in Brussels, Strasbourg or Luxembourg?
Casey Mace: The U.S. Embassy works closely with our colleagues at the U.S. Embassy to the European Union in Brussels regarding all EU institutions, including those based in Luxembourg. Though our meeting schedules have been altered due to the pandemic, the Embassy engages directly with these institutions to further U.S. foreign policy goals.
AMCHAM: Please introduce yourself to our audience both personally and professionally: Who are you? Where are you from? What is your career and education background?
Casey Mace: I am a product of the expat private sector life. After spending the first part of my childhood in Chicago and Texas, my family and I moved to London for my high school years. My father ran the European division of a U.S. property development company and my mother worked for an architecture firm. I loved the experiences that I gained from living in the city, enjoying a multi-cultural friend-set at school, traveling around Europe, and appreciating the opportunity to see my country from the outside in – its strengths, its values, and its role in the world. This led me to pursue academic studies in international affairs at Georgetown University, where I developed an even stronger interest in diplomacy. Never wanting to stray far from the private sector, I spent the first two years of my professional life with a consulting firm conducting market analysis for the space and telecom sectors. When I ultimately joined the State Department, I joined with a career-focus on America’s economic affairs.
In all of my varied assignments with the State Department, I have always sought out and facilitated opportunities to strengthen economic ties for the United States – to generate opportunities for the American business community.
AMCHAM: Please tell us about your family?
Casey Mace: After initially starting my foreign service career in China, I accepted a position in Africa, which proved the most consequential for my life as it is where I met my wife, Anne! She had been working for a number of years throughout East Africa for a U.S. consulting firm, managing USAID programs focused on agribusiness development. We married in the U.S., moved together to Australia for our next posting, where she represented a U.S. agribusiness company which sourced raw materials from Australia and New Zealand, earned a Master’s degree in business and law, and gave birth to our first child. Over the intervening years in Asia and Washington, DC, we’ve been blessed with four children – two boys and two girls – all of whom attend ISL. As a family, we love travel adventures and cheering on our favorite American sports teams. Some of our favorite weekend family outings here are spent enjoying Luxembourg’s many festivals and markets, exploring its many castles, and hiking its many beautiful trails.
AMCHAM: Please share with our readers your current impression of Luxembourg?
Casey Mace: Luxembourg abounds with opportunities for the United States and our business community. I have not lived in a more welcoming country. Bonds of our shared sacrifice still animate a great warmth towards America; there is a prevailing appreciation for working with other countries and cultures; the government and people work hard to innovate and “make it happen,” and the economy is fundamentally strong and growing. Moreover, it offers the best of everything, including beautiful countryside, vibrant urban life, and rich history. Luxembourg’s size makes all these features more readily accessible than any other country. I have lived in Luxembourg for two years, and there is still much for me to see and enjoy!