Tributes flowed Monday to the need for diplomacy in today's world, as the new US embassy to the Netherlands was officially opened. Built at a cost of $220 million (176 million euros), the new building to house about 300 staff moves the American embassy from the heart of The Hague to the upscale outskirts of the leafy suburb of Wassenaar.
The energy-efficient, more secure complex "is a symbol of our commitment to the Netherlands," insisted US ambassador Peter Hoekstra at the opening ceremony. He later told AFP that one reason the embassy was moved was because "the security environment has changed" meaning the building in the Hague had become "a bit of an eyesore" surrounded by fences.
"This does not look like a fortress. Yes, we have a fence. Once the trees get some leaves on and once the grass comes in ... this is going to be a very welcoming sight," he said. The ribbon-cutting ceremony at the complex, set in gardens back from the highway with a pond and small moat, came after controversy earlier this year triggered by the new US embassy in London.
President Donald Trump refused to officiate over its opening saying the London building had been a "bad deal", costing $1.2 billion after the old embassy was sold for "peanuts." "This building came in on time and on budget. It was a good deal for America. We have the Dutch contractors to thank for that," said Hoekstra, laughing. At a time when Trump has turned American diplomacy on its head, insisting he will put "America First" and raising concern among traditional US allies, the ceremony stressed the importance of diplomacy.
"We know in a world like this, we cannot only military power. We need diplomatic power to have peace," said Republican Representative Rodney Frelinghuysen, chairman of the House Appropriations committee. His Democrat colleague, Representative Gregory Meeks, said the building was "a symbol of the need, in the ever decreasing size of the world, the need for diplomacy, working together for the benefit of all of us."
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