On June 13, 2006 Romanian Ambassador Sorin Ducaru hosted a joint reception for the Congressional Legislative Staff Association
and the kick-off the 40th Anniversary Celebration of the American Council of Young Political Leaders at the Romanian Embassy, featuring fine Romanian wines and traditional cuisine.

The event was an opportunity for Congressional staff members and ACYPL alumni to further open the doors of communication and engage in a valuable discussion on the strong partnership between Romania and the United States.

Ambassador Sorin Ducaru told the participants that Romania and the United States share a strategic partnership. “We are allies in the war against terrorism and the advancement of freedom and democracy in the Black Sea region, the Middle East and other parts of the world. Almost 2,000 Romanian troops serve side-by-side with American soldiers in Afghanistan and in Iraq. Also, in the past six years, bilateral trade between Romania and the U.S. increased almost three times,” said ambassador Ducaru.

Brad Minnick, Executive Director- American Council of Young Political Leaders also addressed the participants.

The Congressional Legislative Staff Association (CLSA) is a bipartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to providing increased professional opportunities to the legislative staff of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Currently, there are over 500 members of the CLSA, including Legislative Directors, Press Secretaries, Schedulers, Legislative Assistants, Legislative Correspondents, Staff Assistants, and Committee Staff, representing 535 congressional offices from every state in the United States.

Since 1966 the American Council of Young Political Leaders (ACYPL), a bi-partisan, not-for-profit organization based in Washington, DC, has become recognized worldwide as the pre-eminent catalyst for introducing rising political leaders and policy makers to international affairs and to each other. The ACYPL has conducted programs and exchanges with more than 90 nations, producing a global network of several thousand alumni, a large number of whom have risen to positions of great influence in the United States and in nations around the globe.