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Contacts in Timisoara, aprilie 2007 Letter to Mayor Tom Potter, City of Portland from Mayor Gheorghe Ciuhandru, City of Timisoara Contacts în Portland, May 2007 |
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The initial contacts in Timisoara were kept low profile,
since I did not know how the idea would be received in Portland.
The purpose of these preliminary contacts was to assess the local
interest in Timisoara for a bridge with Portland, Oregon. The
expressed opinions were very positive, and this was a stimulus to
continue the efforts. I also received a letter from the Mayor of
Timisoara to the Mayor of Portland. The main contacts with people that expressed positive support were:
(top) |
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Letter to Mayor Tom Potter, City of Portland from Mayor Gheorghe Ciuhandru, City of Timisoara |
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The Romanian City of Timisoara has actively been exploring binding opportunities with the United States and is strongly interested in Portland, Oregon, because of its shared values and goals for city development, as well as its Romanian community with ties to Timisoara. We are seeking opportunities for increased trade, educational and business development projects, as well as cultural exchange opportunities. We are reaching out to the Romanian community of Portland to build the necessary broad-based community associations to create a lasting beneficial relationship between our two cities. The City of Timisoara, the second largest city of Romania, has many things in common with Portland, first in size, with 400,000 inhabitants, but mostly in terms of its progressive role in its region and the world. The “Timisoara Model” has become a well-known symbol in Romania for successful and progressive economic development. The city is one of the largest and most prosperous cities in all of Romania. In 1989, its people heroically started the famous Romanian Revolution that toppled the Communist Dictatorship and they continue to work hard for a more free and just society. The city was first mentioned in documents dating to 1203 A.D. It was fast to introduce innovations through the ages: in 1718, the first beer factory in Romania; in 1728, the navigation channel Bega; in 1853, the telegraph; in1857, gas street lighting and connection with European railroads; in 1881, the telephone; in 1884, the first European city with streets lit by electric power; in 1895, asphalt streets; and, in 1899, an electric tram. The beauty and extraordinary architecture of the city’s buildings led to it being named the “Little Vienna” or “The City of Roses” (the most important park is the Park of Roses). Portland is known as the “City of Roses” and also places a very high importance on the preservation of its unique architecture and environment and is a national leader in the preservation of “green spaces.” Portland is also nestled between the beautiful Pacific Coast Range on the West and the spectacular Cascade Range on the East, while being divided by the powerful Columbia River and the Willamette River. Similarly, Timisoara lies near the Danube River and is a major transportation hub for commerce and travel. In addition, the city lies near the Carpathian mountain range with the greatest preserved wilderness in all of Europe. Like Portland, Timisoara is very pedestrian-friendly and is strongly committed to public transportation. The city celebrates its very diverse population which is well-known for its peaceful cohabitation in the region. Students from diverse corners of world all come to study in Timisoara, particularly for its technical and medical schools, but also for its hospitable invitations to developing nations in need. It also has a philharmonic orchestra, an opera and three theaters (Romanian, Hungarian and German), as well as nine universities. Our economy is very diversified: electronics, machine tools and metal processing, wood processing, constructions materials, light industry, and food industry. The international airport allows easy access from abroad. The city plays an important interregional role; it is 45 miles from Hungary and 45 miles from Serbia. Romania was recently admitted to the European Union and, according to polls, it has the most positive views towards American people compared to any other EU state. Timisoara lies in the most Western part of Romania, and its people have always shared a more Western European outlook and have been very proactive ever since 1989 to bring themselves closer towards the West. In addition, Timisoara and Romania have always tried to make use of the best ideas and values of both Western Europe and the US, and has worked hard to bring itself closer towards an even brighter future. By its recent admission into the EU, Romania and particularly Timisoara have proven that its hard work and commitment to the EU’s high standards of governance, business practices, human rights, and environmental protection are paying off. Timisoara would strongly benefit from the exchange of Portland’s good governance and planning practices, because Romanian cities are currently developing at a very rapid rate and are in need of wise planning to ensure quality of life and economic prosperity. We are eager to explore all the benefits of shared learning opportunities, economic trade, and culture exchanges that a closer relationship can provide. We look forward to beginning a relationship with your wonderful city and with the Romanian American Community in Portland. Sincerely yours, Gheorghe Ciuhandru The Mayor of Timisoara (top) |
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In Portland I spoke with many people, in official
meetings or on the street, trying to estimate the real chances of a
Portland-Timisoara connection. The general response is very
positive and gives high hopes for a successful cooperation. I am
extremely thankful to all the people that I met for the network of
contacts they created, for the advices they gave, and for the realistic
assessment. The main meetings in Portland are (click on pictures to enlarge):
Mr.Ben Lucescu, Board of Directors Romanian American Society, President of American Capital Mortgage Mr.Nelu Cioarba, Secretary Romanian American Society, Maintenance Manager for Benchmade Knife Co. Mr.Cristian Ioanide, Director Newspaper Romanian Times Mr.Robert Tolar, Ph.D., President of The Echo Group Mr.David Subin, COO Pacific International Maritime Medical Services Mr.Andy Trincia, Vice President Multi State Associates Mr.Bogdan Neagu, Embassy of Romania in Washington (top) |
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Dear Mr.Jurcovan: Thank you very much for expressing to me your interest in establishing an economically beneficial relationship with the City of Portland. I very much appreciate your kind words and honorable efforts to create this relationship. I would greatly like to assist you in finding the best means by which you may accomplish this goal. I would like to recommend you to Seth Huston from the Portland Development Commission, who is the International Coordinator for Economic Development. I would also like to recommend you to Jeff Miller who is the president and CEO of the Portland, Oregon Visitors Association. Another bureau I would suggest inquiring is the United States Commerce Department, which is located at 121 SW Salmon Street, Suite #44, located in downtown Portland. I also encourage you to continue working with the Romanian American Society, which is based directly out of Portland. Establishing a rapport with any of these individuals would be most beneficial to your cause, and I encourage you to inform them of your goals. Again, I thank you sincerely for your interests in our City of Portland and I am proud to extend my gratitude on behalf of our residents in the beautiful “City of Roses”. Sincerely, Tom Potter Mayor (top) |
After my return from Portland, the first step is to inform
all the people initially contacted about the results of the meetings in
Portland. In the same time the following meetings are planned:
The purpose of these contacts is to create an environment to exchange information, to promote the image of Portland and Timisoara, to create local support associations. (top) |
