Mr. Chairman, Members of the Committee,

It is an honor to appear before you today as the President's nominee to be the next United States Ambassador to Sweden. I deeply appreciate the confidence and trust that President Bush and Secretary Rice have placed in me.

I would like to introduce my son, Mike Wood, Jr., and my daughter-in-law, Jennifer Bick Wood. My wife of over thirty years, Judy, and our daughter Kimberly are away on a long-planned mother-daughter trip this week.

I was born in Decatur, Illinois and grew up in Flint, Michigan. In 1976, I started a magazine publishing company named Hanley Wood. By the time we sold the company last August, 29 years later, Hanley Wood had grown into the leading media company serving the housing and construction industry and one of the ten largest business-to-business media companies in the U.S. I believe my business experience has taught important lessons that, if confirmed, I could draw on as Ambassador to Sweden. People at Hanley Wood recognized that by working together toward a common goal, they could accomplish much more than they could on their own. I learned the transforming power of a plan but also realized that in order to have a chance of succeeding, each goal in a plan must have appropriate resources dedicated to it. I learned how to compete successfully in the marketplace of ideas. Finally, I learned that trust is the lubricant that allows any organization to succeed.

Sweden has long been an active transatlantic partner and a country that makes substantial contributions to international efforts to promote democracy, stability, and development. It is a leading participant in NATO's "Partnership for Peace." Sweden recently took command of the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Mazar-e Sharif, Afghanistan, and has more than 200 troops in that country. Sweden also deploys over 780 troops in missions to the Balkans, Liberia, and elsewhere. Sweden's generous humanitarian assistance programs are admired throughout the world. Sweden recently doubled its development assistance to Ukraine. In Belarus, Swedish government and non-governmental organizations have long been active in fostering democracy. The United States can accomplish much in partnership with Sweden. If confirmed, I pledge to maximize our pursuit of U.S. interests in this partnership. With a strong, export-driven economy, Sweden shares our interest in advancing international negotiations that reduce trade barriers and increase trade flows. The United States is the largest international market for Swedish goods, and the trade relationship is valued at over $15 billion annually. U.S. exports to Sweden have been growing at a rate of 3-4% annually, but we do run a large bilateral trade deficit. Sweden is one of the world leaders in use of renewable resources for energy production, with biofuels' share of energy consumption growing to 17% in 2004. If confirmed, I will work energetically with American companies and the Department of Commerce to pursue trade and investment opportunities in Sweden.

While the United States and Sweden share a longstanding friendship and many common goals, at times we face challenges in coordinating our policies. Tapping our common interests -- while looking beyond our differences in views or tactics -- needs to be one of the top priorities in our relations with Sweden. Swedes treasure their tradition of non-alignment, although their application of this concept has undergone further refinement in an increasingly uncertain world. It is vital that we sustain and expand cooperation with Sweden in combating terrorism. We can deepen our bilateral relationship and increase our collaboration in multilateral fora. We can strengthen our security cooperation through Sweden's partnership with NATO. If confirmed, I promise to lead our Embassy in pursuit of these objectives in partnership with Sweden.

When I was a boy, my mother talked to me about one of her heroes: Swedish Nobel prize winner Dag Hammarskjold. She gave me his book 'Markings' to read, and I particularly remember this quote: "Be grateful as your deeds become less associated with your name, as your feet ever more lightly tread the earth." Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to appear before this committee today. It is an honor to be considered for this important position. I will be happy to answer any questions the committee might have.