Broader Middle East & North Africa Major Regional Trade and Investment Finance Conference Slated for Jordan in mid-May

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 27, 2005
Media Contact Name/Phone
Phil Cogan or Brett Decker, +1-202-565-3200, of the Export-Import Bank of the U.S.
News Release in: (PDF)PDF
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Conference Fact Sheet (PDF)PDF
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Draft Agenda (PDF)PDF
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WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Broader Middle East and North Africa Trade and Investment Finance Conference will be held May 17-19, 2005, in Amman, Jordan. The conference will bring together senior government, business and financial leaders of the G-8 and countries and territories from the Broader Middle East and North Africa to address key trade, investment, and finance issues facing the region. Participants will examine means to increase local and regional trade flows and economic development. The conference will complement World Economic Forum meetings being held in Jordan on May 20-22, 2005.

The U.S. Government and the Government of Jordan will host this major regional conference in cooperation with other G-8 export credit agencies. The Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank), the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, the U.S. Department of State, and the U.S. Trade and Development Agency are sponsoring the event.

The President's vision is clear. Trade liberalization and increased economic integration will generate growth, create opportunity and promote security throughout the Middle East, said Deputy Secretary of State Robert B. Zoellick. The conference furthers this goal by building upon commitments made by G-8 and regional leaders to a Partnership for Progress and a Common Future at the June 2004 Sea Island G-8 Summit, and the December 2004 Forum for the Future meetings held in Morocco.

This conference provides a unique opportunity for governments, companies and financial institutions of the region to interact with major G-8 sources of public and private finance and multinational companies, said Ex-Im Bank Chairman Philip Merrill. It will also provide these G-8 institutions with information about the types of financing most needed to accelerate the pace of local and regional trade and investment.

The conference program will focus on a broad range of trade-related investment and finance programs and services, as well as sectors including agriculture, telecommunications, oil and gas and water. Participating countries and territories are expected to include Afghanistan , Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Palestinian Territories (West Bank and Gaza), Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.

EVENT: Broader Middle East and North Africa Trade and Investment Finance Conference.
WHEN: May 18-19, opening reception on evening of May 17.
WHERE: Le Royal Hotel, Amman, Jordan.
COST: There is no registration fee for government participants from the Broader Middle East and North Africa region. US $150 for private sector participants from regional countries, US $250 for G-8 and other non-regional government participants, US $450 for all other participants. (Includes materials and meals.)
REGISTER: You may register on line at www.trademeetings.com, or call Kevin Craemer at 1(866) 636-4729 (Toll Free in the U.S. & Canada), or +1(305) 667-4705. For further information, email: bmena@mfmgroup.com.

Ex-Im Bank, the official export credit agency of the United States, is in its 71st year of helping finance the sale of U.S. exports, primarily to emerging markets throughout the world, by providing loan guarantees, export credit insurance and direct loans. In fiscal year 2004, Ex-Im Bank authorized financing to support $17.8 billion of U.S. exports worldwide. For more information, visit www.exim.gov.