USTDA TO PRESENT AFGHANISTAN COUNTRY OF
THE YEAR HONORS
USTDA
02/13/2006
U.S. TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT AGENCY
MEDIA REGISTRATION:
February 13, 2006
Donna Thiessen
(703) 875-4357
USTDA TO PRESENT AFGHANISTAN COUNTRY OF THE YEAR
HONORS
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Trade and Development
Agency (USTDA) Deputy Director Leocadia I. Zak will present
His Excellency Said Tayeb Jawad, Ambassador of Afghanistan to
the United States, with the agency’s 2005 Country of the
Year honor during a luncheon event in the Longworth House Office
Building on Wednesday, February 15, 2006. Chairman Jim Kolbe,
Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, Export Financing and Related
Programs of the Committee on Appropriations, will deliver remarks
on U.S. support for Afghanistan’s reconstruction and development.
Who:
Ms. Leocadia I. Zak, Deputy Director, USTDA
His Excellency Said Tayeb Jawad, Ambassador, Islamic Republic
of Afghanistan
Congressman Jim Kolbe, Chairman, Subcommittee on Foreign Operations,
Export Financing and Related Programs, Committee on Appropriations
When: Wednesday, February 15, 2006
12:00 p.m. (remarks at 12:45 p.m.)
Where: 1539 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Registration: Members of the media interested
in covering this event should pre-register by
contacting Donna Thiessen at (703) 875-4357.
Background:
As a result of its strong and growing partnership
with the agency, USTDA selected Afghanistan as its 2005 Country
of the Year. Examples of successful USTDA assistance in Afghanistan
span the telecommunications, power, hotel and education sectors.
Most recently, USTDA announced approval of a $500,000 training
program for Afghan entrepreneurs, which complements the Businesses
Building Bridges initiative announced by U.S. Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice and Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai in January.
During 2005, USTDA worked with the Afghan government
in the following areas:
(1) technical assistance in developing laws and regulations
governing civil aviation; (2) technical assistance and training
related to the creation of an Afghan national standards agency;
(3) technical assistance in developing building codes; (4) a
mentoring/training program for Afghan consulting engineers;
and (5) a training program to provide Afghans basic accounting
skills. In addition, the agency funded a major cement study,
which will ultimately lead to Afghan production of this key
building material necessary for the long-term reconstruction
effort.
The U.S. Trade and Development Agency advances
economic development and U.S. commercial interests in developing
and middle-income countries. The agency funds various forms
of technical assistance, feasibility studies, training, orientation
visits and business workshops that support the development of
a modern infrastructure and a fair and open trading environment.
USTDA’s strategic use of foreign assistance funds to support
sound investment policy and decision-making in host countries
creates an enabling environment for trade, investment and sustainable
economic development. In carrying out its mission, USTDA gives
emphasis to economic sectors that may benefit from U.S. exports
of goods and services.
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Visit USTDA’s Website at www.ustda.gov
