Dear AMCHAM members, partners and friends,
In two days, on Saturday, 27 May, Americans around the world will gather together to celebrate Memorial Day to honor those of us who have given their lives in sacrifice to ensure we can live today in freedom and enjoy security, happiness and prosperity. As every year, AMCHAM will join the celebration at the American cemetery in Hamm and lay a wreath expressing our gratitude and thanks to the 5,027 fallen American Soldiers interned there who fought and died to fight for freedom and liberate Luxembourg during the second world war.
We know America is not perfect, but most of us are dedicated to do our best, live with good values, good hearts and be better each day than we were the day before.
If you share our values, you will be most welcome to join us this Saturday at the American Cemetery. No reservations are required and all are most welcome.
A few days ago, a person I know and appreciate asked why AMCHAM has been promoting voting registration and interviewing candidates who are hoping to be elected in the coming months. I have found this to be a fair question and want here to give an answer. First of all, AMCHAM is non-partisan and independent with no affiliation to any political party. We are however, fiercely pro-business and believe that democracies are the best form of government, but only work well if all of the eligible voters are well informed and actively participate. So, our purpose for encouraging people to register and vote serves three objectives.
First, we want as many people to be eligible and voting as possible. Second, we want to introduce voters to the eligible candidates so the voters know the values and objectives which will guide candidates if they are given a mandate to serve. We hope by this that voters will give their support to the candidates whose values and objectives best align with the values and objectives of our AMCHAM constituency. Third, we are trying to use our engagement with candidates to encourage them to pay attention to the issues and priorities of the voters who are our constituents.
In absolute truth, this means that we are using this voting campaign period to encourage politicians to pay more attention to and align themselves with a business favorable agenda… because we believe Luxembourg needs a strong economy to be strong, successful and meet the needs of its citizens.
I hope you agree with what we are doing and why we are doing it. Feel free to engage with me personally at Paul@amcham.lu if you have any comments, suggestions, or other ideas you want to share. And join us for our next election town hall candidate debate at ING on 28 June (registration details can be found HERE). Our big thanks to ING and the Luxembourg Times for partnering with us and for the British Chamber of Commerce, Romanian Business Club, Indian Chamber of Commerce and Luxembourg Bankers club for joining us with their members!
I am delighted this week to introduce you to the Japanese Ambassador, Tadahiro Matsubara who has kindly agreed to be our featured Interviewee. I very much personally respect and appreciate the Ambassador and his wife. Please enjoy his interview.
We are delighted to announce that Bank of America is joining our AMCHAM.lu as a Charter member. We congratulate them for choosing Luxembourg as their newest location in Europe and pledge to give them our fullest support to help them integrate into the Luxembourg business ecosystem. Watch this space for an interesting interview with them at a suitable time in the near future.
Please also see in this Newsletter some photos of the ING Night Marathon. All of our compliments to ING for all of their work turning this activity into such a widely appreciated annual event!
We are very much looking forward to partnering with the Polo Club Luxembourg for the upcoming six-country team tournament on 7,8,9 July. What a weekend this will be! Please register to join this event after seeing all of the latest updated news HERE!
To those of you who are members, we thank you for your support. To those who are not yet part of our family, please know we are happy to welcome you into Team AMCHAM. We are the largest and most active private Chamber of Commerce in Luxembourg… and we always have room (and a warm welcome!) for other excellent companies to join and become active with us (see all the needed details HERE).
Our most sincere thanks to all of you for allowing us to serve you!
With respect and our very best wishes,
Paul
Paul Schonenberg
Chairman and CEO
AMCHAM.lu
