Ambassador John Bruton visits a cattle farm in Henry County, Kentucky.

Ambassador John Bruton visited Louisville, Kentucky, in March as the first in a series of “Dialogue Tours” throughout the United States. The two-day trip gave the Ambassador the chance to meet with and learn about the concerns of Americans living “outside the Washington Beltway.”

“It’s important for me to find out what people outside of Washington are saying and thinking about the European Union,” said Bruton. “I must say, I was surprised by the level of Kentuckians’ awareness of the EU.”

The Ambassador was invited to Kentucky by the Louisville Committee on Foreign Relations, a group of local businesspeople, academics and other interested citizens who meet regularly to hear high-level speakers and discuss international affairs issues. The Ambassador spoke to an audience of over 100 people about the future of Europe and EU-US relations.

“We—the European Union and the United States—can do more good in the world by working together than we can each do on our own,” Bruton told the crowd.

Bruton discussed the importance of the economic relationship between the United States and the European Union. In Kentucky alone, he said, European Union investment supports more than 40,000 jobs.

The Ambassador also visited Creekstone Farms, a cattle operation in nearby Henry County (http://www.hclocal.com/articles/2005/03/16/news/news02.txt). As a cattle farmer himself, the Ambassador had a number of questions for the local farmers about the way they do business. After learning about the Creekstone system, Bruton said he would like to see similar operations set up in Europe.

“This is the farming system of the future. It provides total quality assurance to the consumer, and it also provides opportunities for smaller family farms to participate. It brings a sophistication of technology to bear without threatening the family farm,” he said.

After the farm visit, Bruton spoke to students at the Atherton High School in Louisville and took their questions on the EU.

“Meeting with students is one of the most important and enjoyable aspects of my job,” said Bruton. “I’m consistently impressed by how much they know about the EU.”

Other stops in Louisville included an appearance on “State of Affairs,” a public affairs call-in program on WFPL, the local affiliate of National Public Radio, and a visit with the editorial board of the Louisville Courier Journal.

Unfortunately, bad weather on the runway in Washington caused a delay at the outset of the trip, and Bruton was forced to cancel a speech at the University of Louisville and a meeting with Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson. But, the Ambassador said, he’d be happy to return to Kentucky again. Next time, he said, “I’ll go for the Derby!”

Ambassador Bruton took questions on the EU from listeners during a one-hour call-in radio show on KFPL in Louisville, Kentucky.

For more information, contact Jennifer Sieg, at jennifer.sieg@cec.eu.int.

Other Weekly Messages