Embassy Visit

We had an interesting day today. The day began at the US Embassy in Moscow. I was really excited to go to the embassy and see what it is like. Outside the buildings are not stunning, but once inside the complex, we were taken to the main embassy building which was very beautiful. All around the grounds were blooming flowers of red, white, and blue and it was nice to see an American flag hanging in the courtyard.

We spent our morning listening to different embassy officers describe what their departments do and how they help make connections between Russia and the US. We heard about political, human rights, cultural, economic, environmental, health, and consular issues. The officers were all positive in their outlook of our relationship with Russia. This has been changing toward the positive since President Obama and President Medvedev created a Bilateral Presidential Commission that includes 17 working groups, of various topics, that are working to improve our relations between the two countries. Our morning was extremely informative!

After a quick lunch, we went by metro to our next appointment. The afternoon was spent talking to Tim Stubbs. He is a University of Michigan alum and for the past 19 years, has worked in Moscow as a lawyer. Mr. Stubbs and one of the other partners of the firm, described for us how they help domestic and international companies move into the Russian system. It was interesting to hear how they view Russia and how it has changed since the fall of the Soviet Union.

The rest of the evening was free so Kelly, Vint, Julie, and I decided to go to Old Arbat, an area of Moscow that is a pedestrian street filled with cafes, art vendors, souvenirs, and live musicians. It was really nice to stroll the street and enjoy the hot Moscow evening.