WASHINGTON –
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez announced on May 1, 2007 that
three United States Cabinet Secretaries, three Latin American
Vice-Presidents and senior officials from twenty Western
Hemisphere nations have confirmed their participation in
the inaugural Americas Competitiveness Forum to be held
June 11–12, 2007, in Atlanta, Ga.
“The Americas Competitiveness Forum
is an excellent opportunity for government and private sector
leaders to discuss policies and strategies that attract
investment and promote economic prosperity throughout the
Western Hemisphere,” said Secretary Gutierrez. “Global
competition is increasing and this innovative forum will
bring key public and private-sector leaders together to
discuss ways to make the Americas more competitive in the
international marketplace.”
In an increasingly competitive global environment
the Americas Competitiveness Forum (ACF) presents a unique
opportunity for countries in the region to gather and discuss
how to foster competitiveness in the Western Hemisphere.
These countries, with close proximity to the United States,
the world’s largest marketplace, can use this proximity
as an advantage. The ACF will facilitate the sharing of
ideas and examples of success from other countries in the
region in education, innovation, supply chain strategies,
workforce development and small business development growth.
President Bush has recently traveled to five countries in
the Americas and reiterated the United States’ commitment
to helping the democracies in the region.
Joining Gutierrez, the host of the Americas
Competitiveness Forum, are United States Secretary of Treasury
Henry M. Paulson and Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings.
In addition to dozens of Minister-level
government officials from throughout the region, the 33
democratically-elected countries of the Western Hemisphere
will be represented by three Vice Presidents: Ana Vilma
de Escobar of El Salvador, Jaime Morales Carazo of Nicaragua,
and Kevin Casas Zamora of Costa Rica.
Luis Alberto Moreno, President of the Inter-American
Development Bank, and Hernando de Soto, President of Peru's
Institute for Liberty and Democracy, are scheduled to also
address the state of competitiveness in the Western Hemisphere.
The Americas Competitiveness Forum will
provide a venue for government ministers from the Western
Hemisphere and leaders from the private sector, academia,
and non-governmental organizations to explore cutting edge
ideas and best practices in several key areas of competitiveness.
Each day will be filled with dynamic plenary speakers and
breakout sessions.
For more information, please visit http://www.ita.doc.gov/competitiveness/ACF
and for the agenda, please visit http://trade.gov/competitiveness/acf/acf-agenda.pdf.
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