Ambassador plants tree on site of future U.S. Embassy

Earth Day ceremony

WASSENAAR – U.S. Ambassador Hartog Levin joined The Hague Mayor Jozias van Aartsen and Wassenaar Mayor Jan Hoekema recently in planting three trees on the site of the future U.S. Embassy in Wassenaar. The three trees were the first of 168 to be planted to replace those removed in preparing the property for ownership transfer to the U.S. government.

The ambassador joined the Mayors in what will someday soon be her country's Embassy and pledged to be good neighbours in the community. Her government respects the environment and acknowledges that our lives are indeed interlinked, she said. The governments and people of both municipalities are facilitating the upcoming construction of a new Embassy. In turn, the U.S. will do its utmost to ensure that the new compound is attractive and fits in with the surrounding community. The trees symbolize that commitment, the Dutch-born U.S. diplomat said.

The U.S. Embassy in The Hague is a member of the League of Green Embassies, a cooperative of American Embassies and Consulates dedicated to pursuing eco-friendly initiatives. On the recent Earth Day, Ambassador Hartog Levin signed the Statement of Principles, which demonstrates its commitment to making the Embassy more environmentally friendly.