Virtual Closing Remarks by Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Daniel Bischof
Third-Country Training Program (TCTP) Infrastructure Finance Program
January 26, 2021
Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today at the conclusion of the Infrastructure Finance Workshop.
As you well know, infrastructure finance covers a wide range of economic development issues, including energy, healthcare, transportation, water resources, and telecommunications. An understanding of not only the technical and economic aspects, but also the legal and social parameters is key.
For this reason, informed investing in infrastructure is tremendously important as each and every one of these issues has its own challenges. That is why it is a priority topic for the Third Country Training Program. The United States is investing in a shared future with ASEAN as we work together to create opportunities and build human capital on both sides of the Pacific Ocean. The Third Country Training Program is just one example.
I would like to recognize the collaborative efforts of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation and Infrastructure Asia in making this technical exchange a reality.
Thank you as well to my U.S. and Singaporean counterparts for another successful workshop. We appreciate the ideas, best practices, and knowledge you’ve shared in the past few months, despite not being able to interact in person.
You are now part of a growing group of professionals worldwide who will shape policy by leveraging your knowledge and skills in capacity-building and regional resilience.
Speaking of which, when you are working in the field of development, you need strong resilience – I’ve seen that firsthand through my prior experiences working in several of your countries, such as Laos and the Philippines.
Sometimes we find that just beyond what seems to be a near solution, there are very concrete sets of new challenges. My hope is that you will take the tools that you have learned and confront these challenges head-on.
I’m sure that you have seen many of us are facing some of the same challenges with a different perspective. When you share your experiences from this course, please do not forget to keep in touch with each other. TCTP helps build the limitless range of connections between the combined one billion people of the United States and ASEAN. It is important to work together when making impactful changes in our communities, our countries, our regions, and the world.
Finally, with respect to your newfound technical knowledge, resilience, and long-lasting connections, I look forward to hearing about your efforts in the coming years. Thank you.
