Romania’s Ambassador to the US Andrei Muraru was invited to participate on Monday, in the opening session of the Arizona House of Representatives, within which the elected speaker of this legislative forum, Ben Toma, shall assume office, according to Agerpres.

According to a press release published by Romania’s Embassy, Ben Toma is of Romanian descent, leaving Cluj with his family to the United States in 1987, when he was almost 8. As a result of the US midterm elections which took place last year, Ben Toma, has become the first Romanian with the highest political position in the US, after being elected by the parliamentary group of the Republican Party as speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives. In the last legislature, Ben Toma served as the majority leader of the Arizona House of Representatives.

In 2022, Ben Toma was bestowed the „Legislator of the Year” award on behalf of the American Legislative Exchange Council for two laws which he promoted, considered to be revolutionary: the largest tax cut in the history of the state of Arizona and a deep reform of the education system.

On the occasion of the visit to the state of Arizona, Ambassador Andrei Muraru will carry out a series of meetings with the management of the Arizona Commerce Authority – the main economic development organisation of Arizona, with the Onsemi company leadership – a leader in the semiconductor industry and will tour the campus, as well as discuss with leaders of the Intel company. Moreover, the ambassador will meet political and economic leaders of the state of Arizona, organised by the Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations and with members of the Romanian community.

Agerpres