Ashgabat, November 14, 2017 – On November 1, U.S. Ambassador Allan Mustard cut a ribbon to mark the reopening of the Dashoguz American Corner in a new, modernized space. The date also marked the 15th anniversary of the original opening of the Dashoguz American Corner, which hosts over 12,000 visitors per year.
More than 50 people attended the reopening ceremony, including alumni of U.S. government exchange programs, staff from the implementing partner American Councils, high school volunteers, and regular visitors. The new design was inspired by the Smithsonian Institution’s Idea Book for American Spaces, which helps to highlight the Corner’s English-language materials, internet resources, and Makerspace activities. After the official opening, Public Affairs Officer Bridget Gersten and Information Officer Joshua deLara led inaugural sessions on working as a diplomat and life in New York. The Public Affairs Section of U.S. Embassy Ashgabat sends approximately 30 speakers per year to American Corners in different regions of Turkmenistan in a whole-of-mission effort to promote English-language programs, American culture, and engagement with alumni of U.S. government programs.
As Ambassador Mustard said at the event, “The Dashoguz American Corner is very important to me and to the U.S. Embassy in Ashgabat. And because you are here, it shows me that the Dashoguz American Corner is important to you as well. It’s important to us because this is where we come to share our culture and our stories, to give presentations and have discussions. This is where diplomacy happens. This is where we create partnerships for the future.”
For more information, please contact the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy in Ashgabat at 47-35-03 (ext. 1) or e-mail irc-ashgabat@state.gov.
