Photo credit: Janet Donovan
“The secret is,” said Victoria Nuland, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, “he is a private flyer. Whenever he gets a little free time, he goes and borrows or rents a Cessna and goes up in the air and gives himself a little bit of a breather. The only issue is that he is apparently also known for taking out his cell phone while flying and taking pictures of himself and then is tweeting them while he is also flying. The US Aviation Administration asked me to tell you that they’re glad you are leaving the country.” Categorically & jokingly denied by outgoing Ambassador of Italy Claudio Bisogniero at a farewell reception for he and his wife Laura Denise at Blair House. – The President’s guest house.
Minority Speaker Nancy Pelosi with Laura Denise and Amb. Claudio Bisogniero
After a bit of joshing, Ambassador Bisogniero recounted his days in Washington. He and his wife Laura have been an extremely embracing and popular couple on the diplomatic scene.
“Once again, four fantastic extraordinary years and I know that I owe all of that to each and every one of you who is in this room because of your friendship, your work and your support and I’m very, very grateful for that. “Off to Brussels, very very briefly. I will not get lost in the corridors of Brussels; I spent ten years of my life in that building, in that important institution – mid 80’s. The political dialogue was, ‘Who is Gorbachev?’ ‘Can we trust Gorbachev?’ That was the political dialogue that was major at the time and the answer was yes, we can trust him. Let’s do business with him and that’s when that incredible season of government treaties and things happened.”
Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Amb. Claudio Bisogniero and Judge William Webster
“For at least thirty years, Italy and the US see eye to eye on the most important international policy issues. Our militaries stand side by side on very challenging terrain … on very challenging theaters from Afghanistan to Kosovo, from counter-piracy to Iraq and we stand ready to step in immediately when the conditions will allow that,” he added. “That has been very very strong economic times, very very solid trade and investment booming in many many ways and, frankly, culture. Culture is so important for us, that’s why we did the 2013 Year of Italian Culture which ended, as I often say, at midnight on December 31st of 2013. However, as I also say, we Italians are a bit flexible most of the time so we keep doing those things. We keep organizing many many events, one of them in a very few days on the second of March at the White House Historical Society about the Italian influence on the White House; the architecture and art and culture. I’m going to miss that while I was behind that very matching organization. You will still see my name probably on the invitations but it’s something I’m going to miss but am sure you’re going to enjoy it.”
Ray Mahmood
“As I go back there, there is so much going on that makes NATO still the indispensable pillar of our collective security. I think any debate that merits have existed on the enduring relevance of NATO. ‘Is NATO still needed after the collapse of the Warsaw Pact?’ That’s completely off the table. NATO is absolutely at the center of what we see as our collective safety and security and of our trans-Atlantic dialogue with the US and Canada. We’re looking forward to that. Let me thank you all once again for being here with us. We value your friendship, your support and we look forward to seeing you in Brussels one of these days.”
Oh, and in case you want to fly and tweet, book your own Cessna here.
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