“A Perfect Match” – Minister President Wüst and U.S. Consul General Kao give the go-ahead for NRW-USA Year 2023/2024

Featuring a wide range of events, festive receptions, concerts, movie nights and exhibitions, the official start of the NRW-USA Year was on 22 June, which also served as a kick-off event for the 247th Independence Day of the United States of America, to be celebrated on 4 July 2023. The two hosts, U.S. Consul General Pauline Kao and NRW Minister President Hendrik Wüst, together with U.S. Ambassador Dr. Amy Gutmann and NRW Minister Nathanael Liminski, invited guests to the Ständehaus K21 to mark the occasion.

Minister President Hendrik Wüst states, “A deep and long-standing friendship links North Rhine-Westphalia and the USA. Today, our relations are more vital than ever. We are truly a perfect match – and this will be celebrated in the NRW-USA Year. At the same time, the NRW-USA Year can further raise our profile as an innovative and dynamic business location as we work together on sustainable solutions for the future, especially with a view to transforming our economy towards climate neutrality.”

Dr. Amy Gutmann, U.S. Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany adds, “When President Kennedy came to Bonn in 1963, he said words of great significance. He called Bonn the capital and center of the free world, because after the war, our renewed German-American partnership was born here on the Rhine and Ruhr. Former enemies became loyal friends, who shared common values and interests. So the official partnership between North Rhine-Westphalia and my home state of Pennsylvania fills me with particularly great joy.”

There are more than 1,700 companies from the USA settled in North Rhine-Westphalia, making it one of the state’s most important foreign trade partners and one of the largest foreign investors. There are 33 city partnerships, 98 school partnerships and 290 university collaborations, all of which ensure a vital exchange between people on both sides of the Atlantic that spans generations.

Nathanael Liminski, NRW Minister for Europe and International Affairs says, “At the latest, since Russia’s attack on Ukraine, everyone should be aware of the value of our transatlantic friendship. The NRW-USA Year serves as an opportunity to further expand our economic ties and partnership of shared values. We want to put a spotlight on the people and associations that bring our transatlantic friendship to life every day.”

In the words of Pauline Kao, U.S. Consul General for North Rhine-Westphalia, “Relations between the USA and NRW are already so multifaceted. American players are at home with North Rhine-Westphalia’s professional sports clubs, students from North Rhine-Westphalia deliver top performances at American universities, and city partnerships such as the one between Münster and Fresno have a great appeal. Building on this foundation, we want to further grow our relations into the future. The NRW-USA Year is for everyone! Join in, share your story, let’s create a legacy together.”

Seeking collaborators

Whether companies, institutions, associations or other organizations – all are cordially invited to become an official program partner of the NRW-USA Year. Let’s co-create a highly diverse program! The aim is to use various events and get-togethers to deepen diplomatic, economic and cultural relations and make them tangible.