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Aldous Mina/caption
Aldous Mina was born in 1979 and grew up in Norfolk Virginia. He is a graduate of Liberty University in Lynchburg Virginia (B.S. International Business) and American InterContinental University/AIU in Schaumburg/Chicago Illinois (MBA International Business). He received international business training in the United Kingdom (England/London Scotland Wales) Ireland (Dublin) and Israel (Jerusalem).
Mr. Mina worked for the U.S. Peace Corps in Romania (economic development specialist 2007) World Bank (financial analyst 2013). He has served in the federal government in both Republican and Democratic administrations in Washington DC (financing project manager White Houses initiative on the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act) and private sector (contractor Booz Allen Hamilton Northrop Gruman Maersk and Maximus Premier Global Council Group).
He is the author of four books on global markets and faceconomics.
During the period of October 3 and 4 2019 Aldous Mina attended the annual
ALIANŢA/The Alliance Gala in Washington DC at the Conrad Hotel and the Romanian Embassy respectively.
On October 4 2019 the Alianţa organization announced the launching of a new initiative The Visa Waiver for Romanians in order to support efforts in the U.S. Congress to end discrimination in the U.S. Visa system against Romanian citizens. Currently Romania is one of only four European Union countries which are not part of the U.S. Visa Waiver program which allows EU citizens to visit the U.S. without a visa.
With that occasion Mr. Mina granted me an exclusive interview.
1. Mr. Al Mina you will be running for the U.S. Senate for Virginia in 2020 and you also from what I understand have served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Romania a while ago.
Yes Sir.
2. Romania is one of the only four EU members currently excluded from the U.S. Visa Waiver Program. Can you tell us more about the advocacy campaign to allow Romanians to visit the United States without a visa?
I think their advocacy initiative comes in many tier-and-levels of you know domestic and international policy for the U.S. It builds up on the relevance of an interaction among people groups Romanians and Americans to learn from one another and increase our understanding of that culture and community. Because America is going through a transitional period. Every single one of us came to America you know from various parts of the world. And we need to be able to explain to the world that if we are going to be at that leadership position as a country we have to embrace everyone. You know especially Romanians that are willing to contribute here and want us to be a part of their community. I was a former Peace Corps volunteer in Romania and everyone there embraced me loved me and shared their cultures with me. So I think this is a perfect time. Yes its just… Im all for it if theres more than I can do I will definitely want to partake in it.
3. Very nice Sir.
Sure.
4. The next question: in your opinion what do Romania and Romanians have to do to make this U.S. Visa Waiver Program an achievable objective?
Well there has to be a will to be a part of this. And I think its not difficult to be a part of this Visa Waiver initiative if we can convince the U.S. government as well as our communities that its timely. You know for the longest time Romania has been a part of the European Union for since 2007. And yet we havent given them access to the U.S. market just as we have given access to people from France Portugal Spain and UK to come to the U.S. So you know in order for us to extend a leaf of diplomacy to the Romanian public as well as to the Romanian government we should acknowledge the fact that they are our partners within the alliance the NATO Protocol they are a part of the NATO alliance country and therefore we should give them access and opportunity to learn about us Americans and hopefully they can take that back they can take that experience back to Romania and help them influence their local community in Romania to understand how Americans are. Because there are still a lot of gap within culture. And so this is a perfect timing. And I am all for it.
5. Thank you so much. The last question: Romanian President Klaus Iohannis has met with American President Donald Trump twice in June 2017 and in August 2019 and every time the U.S. Visa Waiver was a topic of discussion.
Right.
6. How do you think this issue will be eventually resolved?
Well you know politicians have their own thing. Unfortunately they dont fully understand the dynamics and ramifications of their actions and the trajectory of those actions after they leave office. Therefore its up to us as local citizens to identify the potential and the value within that collaboration. And for me my initiatives in Romania have always been in economic development. Because Ive seen the potential in Romania Ive done interviews throughout Romania where Ive explained and underlined the process of developing a structure for foreign direct investment market creation and you know economic development. So I think if we were to you know foresee the future if we were to look at a magic eight ball I think Romania is going to be one of the countries that is going to be at the top within that region in terms of economic development and you know the list of emerging markets to look at and pay attention to.
7. Thank you so much. All you have said was very very encouraging. Thank you so much.
Thank you Sir. I appreciate your help.
8. You are welcome.
Yes.
(October 18 2019)
TIBERIU DIANU has published several books and a host of articles in law politics and post-communist societies. He currently lives and works in Washington DC and can be followed on MEDIUM.
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