Ambassador Korhonen’s Independence Day Remarks

Independence Day Remarks

June 30, 2026

 Minister Diop, distinguished guests, colleagues, et chers amis,

Minister, thank you for your kindness, your generosity with your time, and your patience as I have asked you and your team for help whenever we have needed it. You have been a wonderful partner during my time here. I would also like to thank your team, especially Ambassador Diakité.

My fellow ambassadors in Bamako, you make this place feel like home. Thank you for your friendship.

I especially want to thank my colleagues at the Embassy who put this event together. Without their hard work, this would not be possible. It takes a lot to do your day job and, in addition, plan an event of this size. Additional thanks go to our sponsors who helped make this event a real celebration: Radisson Hotel, Blue Sky, Golden Life, Wave Telecom, Remote Sounds, Cold Stone Creamery, and, of course, our very own American Chamber of Commerce Mali.

They have helped us put together a celebration of the United States, my favorite place in the universe.

It is a little different from most years, though. The United States of America is 250 years old. It sounds old, but in nation terms, we are still toddlers…maybe pre-teens. That said, we have accomplished much. Happy Birthday, America! Yes, you can cheer and be proud. I certainly am.

Tonight, we also celebrate friendship and partnership with Mali. Tonight is also about hope. And it is about the work that each of us does to build a better future. That is what Americans and Malians are working on every day.

When I first arrived in Mali in 2023, I spoke about my dreams for this country. Those dreams were inspired by Mali itself: by Mali’s history, Mali’s land, Mali’s culture, and, above all, Mali’s people. And, of course, by the relationship between us.

Mali is a great country with a great history and great promise. Of course, Mali has extraordinary resources, from gold to agriculture and livestock. But I think its greatest strength, and its most priceless resource, is what walks on its surface: its people, its young people, its teachers, its workers. It is in all those who are building Mali’s future.

My dream is of a united Mali where every region, every community, and every citizen have a stake in the nation’s future. A Mali where the talent of one community serves the whole country, and where prosperity is shared across every region. The future of Mali must be large enough for all Malians.

My dream is of a united, prosperous, and confident Mali—a Mali that transforms its potential into opportunity and its history into a future worthy of its people’s aspirations.

As we celebrate tonight, we remember those who have lost their lives to violence and insecurity, and we reaffirm our hope for a peaceful, stable, and prosperous future for all Malians. And that brings me to why this evening matters.

Tonight, we celebrate the Independence Day of the United States of America. But this year is not just any Independence Day. Throughout 2026, we are commemorating the 250th anniversary of the founding of our nation.

Freedom 250 is a moment for Americans to reflect on our own national journey. Two hundred and fifty years ago, a group imagined a country that did not yet exist. They believed ordinary citizens could shape their own destiny. They believed freedom, enterprise, hard work, and self-government could build something greater than what the world had known before. As President Trump said, “Our founders launched not only a revolution in government, but a revolution in the pursuit of justice, equality, liberty, and prosperity.” That revolution was also a dream.

The American story has never been perfect. No nation’s story is. But for 250 years, generations of Americans have worked to bring our country closer to the promise of its founding. That work continues today. The American dream endures because each generation is called to build, improve, and carry it forward.

I am a product of that American dream. I know what it means when opportunity meets determination. I know what it means when a society gives people room to rise, build, work, and contribute. And I believe that same possibility exists for young Malians today.

Freedom 250 is not only a commemoration of the past. It is a reminder that nations are built by people who dare to imagine a better future and then do the hard work required to make that future real. America was built by those with dreams. But it was also built by workers, teachers, inventors, soldiers, entrepreneurs, and citizens who believed the future could be better than the present.

So tonight, as we celebrate the independence of the United States, we also celebrate friendship and partnership. We celebrate the belief that free, determined, and hopeful people can shape history.

Two hundred and fifty years later, we Americans are still united in our love for our country.

Thank you, Minister Diop.

Happy Birthday, America, and may God bless the United States and Mali.