#2021WCA: Welcome and Introduction with Acting Assistant Secretary Julie Chung
#2021WCA: Welcome and Introduction with Acting Assistant Secretary Julie Chung
Julie Chung, acting assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere Affairs, opened the annual conference, alongside AS/COA’s Susan Segal and Eric Farnsworth.
Speakers
- Julie Chung, Acting Assistant Secretary, Western Hemisphere Affairs, U.S. Department of State
- Eric Farnsworth, Vice President, Americas Society/Council of the Americas
- Susan Segal, President and CEO, Americas Society/Council of the Americas
“Democratic, prosperous, and secure,” said COA Vice President Eric Farnsworth, as he opened the 51st annual Washington Conference on the Americas. “Even when everything has been disrupted by the pandemic … these core values continue to offer guideposts for recovery and, ultimately, optimism for partnership and collective actions to build the hemisphere back better.” On what would define a “better” recovery, Susan Segal emphasized that, “Council of the Americas is determined to help drive a just recovery and a better outcome for the Americas.”
The participation of the U.S. vice president and five other members of the Biden cabinet in COA's 2021 event “reflects the administration’s steadfast commitment to the Americas at the highest levels,” said acting Assistant Secretary Julie Chung. “I encourage the Council’s member companies to consider the vital role you play in forging productive partnerships with the Americas.”
