AmCham and US Embassy Celebrate 239th US Independence Day
On July 4th, the US Embassy together with the American Chamber of Commerce in Georgia celebrated the 239th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. A picnic party was organized during which American, Georgian and international families gathered together to celebrate US Independence Day. The party included a barbeque, entertainment activities, toys for children, live music and games. The party ended with a fantastic display of fireworks. Half the proceeds raised from ticket sales went toćsupport the flood disaster relief.
Michael Cowgill, the Vice-President of AmCham of Georgia, explained the meaning of July 4th.
“On behalf of the American Chamber of Commerce and the US Embassy, we would to welcome everybody to the Fourth of July picnic. We hold it every year but this year there are two reasons. One, we want to get American and Georgian and other nationalities together to have fun and, second, we really want to celebrate the American Independence. This is a symbol of a free world and for everyone who struggles for freedom,” said Cowgill.
US ambassador Richard Norland noted the significance of the day and thanked Georgians for their well-wishes.
“This is a particularly significant day as it will be my last 4th of July as US ambassador in Georgia- I’ll be leaving in about two weeks. The significance of the American Chamber of Commerce being here and the work that it does makes it a very strong part of Georgia’s economic development and US-Georgia relations. We’re pleased to see that each year the involvement of the American business community gets stronger, as does discussion about free trade with Georgia. I want to thank all Georgians who wished us well on our Independence Day and say: our Independence Day is Georgian’s Independence Day!” said Ambassador Norland.
Richard Norland was appointed as a US ambassador in 2012 and finished his ambassadorial tenure this summer.
American congress representatives also joined the party and spoke about US-Georgia relations. Republican Congressman Peter Roskam from Illinois spoke about US-Georgia’s close economic relations and reaffirmed US support for Georgia against Russian aggression. “It is great to be here with the US Embassy, celebrating US Independence Day and celebrating Georgian democracy as well. The ties between Georgia and the United States are very, very close. We are part of a bipartisan delegation here to honor Georgia and to make those ties deeper, deeper and deeper. The commercial relationship, the trade relationship, the relationship with the US, the Chamber of Commerce and American businesses are strong and should be stronger to draw the two economies closer together. Georgia is at the front line of freedom and is pushing back hard against Russian aggression and we are here to stand with Georgia and deepen the ties with the United States.”
Democrat Congressman David Price from North Carolina: “We are impressed with many aspects of Georgian democracy. One of the most impressive is the vigorous parliament in which the parties are represented and in which vigorous debates take place,” said Price.
On July 4th, 1776, the Second Continental Congress adopted the Thomas Jefferson Declaration of Independence and thirteen colonies declared a new, independent nation - the United States of America. Since that day the nation has celebrated Independence Day annually on every 4th of July with carnivals, fireworks, picnics, parades, concerts, barbecues, fairs, baseball games, and political ceremonies.
Meri Taliashvili