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Ambassador Roger F. Noriega presented credentials as the United States Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States (OAS), committing to constructive collaboration for the well-being of the people of the Americas.

"I'm a firm believer that if the OAS didn't exist, we would need to invent it," declared Ambassador Noriega as he presented Secretary General César Gaviria with accreditation documents, during a brief ceremony today at the Secretary General's office. "We have a great Organization," he continued, promising to work "very closely, cooperatively and respectfully to accomplish some common objectives to improve the well-being of our people."

In an interview afterwards, the new Ambassador cited the strengthening of democracy as a priority for the United States, as it is for the OAS member states. "Our priority right now is to have a successful meeting in Lima where we conclude an agreement—a Democratic Charter that is practical [and] has the effect of strengthening democratic institutions in this Hemisphere…. As we do that, we assure that when we build a free trade area in the Americas that we are building a community of democracies and not just a commercial arrangement."

The Secretary General welcomed Mr. Noriega as someone with in-depth knowledge of the OAS: "He knows the OAS very well and has had a lot of experience dealing with Latin American and Caribbean problems."

Gaviria also expressed the hope that the new U.S. envoy would help make the OAS a more influential institution that is also more helpful in attending to the needs of the Hemisphere's peoples as it enhances relations among the Western Hemisphere nations.

Most recently a senior professional staffer with the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Noriega also worked on staff at the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on International Relations and was a senior policy advisor as well as Alternate Representative on the U.S. delegation to the OAS. He was also a senior advisor with the OAS Department of Public Information.

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