Urios went USA!

Thursday the 11^th of February Urios has visited the Embassy of the United States of America. After a thorough security check we were escorted into the building and welcomed by two of the Embassy’s officers. These diplomats were Eric Falls, head of the Political Office and Nik Granger, Political/Military Officer of the U.S. Delegation in the OPCW, the Office for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

Our visit started with a short lecture by both Officers on what their tasks are within the Mission. They explained to us what a day at the Embassy looks like and what kind of activities take place there. After this short introduction we were allowed to ask them all kinds of questions. These varied from questions on working as a diplomat in general to questions on the relation between the USA and the Netherlands. Also, they spoke openly about the changes that have occurred since president Obama took office and the influence this has had on their international politics. Further it was interesting to hear how recent events, such as the attempted terrorist attack in an airplane of December 25^th last year and the debate on the presence of the Netherlands in Afghanistan influence their work.

This excursion was a great way to get a closer look on the way things work in an Embassy, but also gave more perspective on the complicated international politics and the relation between the United States and the Netherlands. Another successful activity for Urios!