Cianchette commits to free trade, reducing narcotic supply and re-learning Spanish in confirmation hearing for ambassador post

Peter CianchetteIf confirmed as U.S. ambassador to Costa Rica, Peter Cianchette said he will focus on strengthening trade between the country and the United States, and work with local law enforcement to combat drugs being grown in the Latin American country.

Cianchette, Maine’s Republican National Committeeman, appeared before the U.S. Foreign Relations Committee Wednesday for a confirmation hearing. President Bush tapped him for the post in February.

His testimony can be read here.

The committee will vote on the nomination in the coming weeks, and then it will go before the full Senate for approval.

Cianchette has never been to Costa Rica, and his Spanish skills have been sitting on a shelf for years, but he said his work in the mid-1980s as a senior executive with the Dragon Products Company, a cement and concrete manufacturer based in Spain, prepared him for the post.

“During that time I completed a total immersion course in Spanish and became very comfortable with business and social discussions and was able to communicate,” Cianchette said in response to questioning by Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J.

Cianchette said he has spent months doing intense research about the nation’s culture, current issues and political climate, and is committed to brushing up on the language.

He wants Costa Rica to become a full partner in the Central America-Dominican Republic-United States Free Trade Agreement. The United States has a good trade relationship with Costa Rica, he said during the hearing. Trade between the two countries rose by about 14 percent in 2005.

He commended Costa Rican president Oscar Arias’ leadership on trade issues, and he said he wants to strengthen the ties.

“The United States has a vibrant trade relationship with Costa Rica that is likely to make Costa Ricans the biggest beneficiaries of free trade in the region once the agreement is fully implemented,” he said.

Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., said that Costa Rica’s participation in CAFTA-DR is contentious in the country, and last fall Costa Ricans narrowly approved a referendum to participate. Now it’s a matter of implementation.

Cianchette said support for the trade agreement has increased since the fall.

“I really believe, from what I have learned in the intense research I have been doing in the last couple month, that Costa Ricans understand that they’ve been given a unique opportunity to partner with other countries in the region, and most importantly with the United States,” Cianchette said.

Costa Rica is a “nation of great aspirations,” Cianchette said. A U.S. ally, it has more stability than neighboring countries. In 1948 the nation ditched its military in favor of putting more resources into social services.

The nation is facing some new challenges, however. There are increasing security threats from criminals, drug traffickers and terrorists. In 2006, Cianchette said, more illegal drugs were grown there than in any other Latin American country, except Panama. He said he is committed to working with Costa Rican law enforcement to battle these problems.

“Security concerns already affect the hundreds of thousands of U.S. citizens who visit and reside in Costa Rica each year,” Cianchette told the committee. “If confirmed, I would have no greater priority than protecting American citizens.”

Cianchette said he gained the skills needed to be an ambassador through his business experience, and also when he served in the Maine Legislature. There he gained experience listening to citizens and responding to their concerns, and also work with stakeholders in the policy making process.

“Everything I’ve learned suggests that an effective ambassador must lead the embassy staff in the country, but build consensus as a team player within the interagency community so that all U.S. equities are represented,” Cianchette said.

Maine Senators Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe support the nomination, and spoke highly of him during their opening remarks to the committee.

“The United States and Costa Rica have a long history of friendship and cooperation,” Collins said in her remarks. “Mr. Cianchette is an outstanding choice to strengthen this relationship. With more than 20 years of business experience and public service, he has a proven ability to work cooperatively with others to achieve progress. As a dedicated community leader and civic activist, he has a long and distinguished record of using his talents to benefit others.”