BOTSWANA AGOA FORUM OUTREACH PLAN

UNCLAS GABORONE 000847 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON ETRD AMGT PREL SUBJECT: BOTSWANA AGOA FORUM OUTREACH PLAN REF: SECSTATE 107204 ¶1. This is a response to reftel request for submission of a Botswana AGOA Forum outreach plan. ¶2. Post has conducted a number of outreach activities in conjunction with the Gaborone-based USAID-supported Southern Africa Trade Hub. A press conference with the Hub's AGOA Advisor Amanda Hilligas and Commercial Officer Hagen Maroney was held in April. Topics were the achievements of the AGOA agreement the upcoming AGOA Forum, and Botswana's strategy for dealing with AGOA. It received broad media coverage. With new management at the Trade Hub, a press conference was held there again this month, which focused on how regional enterprises could take maximum advantage of AGOA. Adequate press coverage resulted. ¶3. A Botswana AGOA Forum is scheduled to be held on July 12. Ambassador Huggins and Botswana's Minister of Trade and Industry, Daniel Neo Moroka, will open this interactive conference. Unfortunately, this local forum was postponed from its originally scheduled date of May 2, which would have done more for the publicity of the AGOA Forum, due to the unexpected announcement of a Botswana public holiday on May 2 the week before the event was scheduled. However, approximately 100 companies were sent invitations to Botswana AGOA Forum, and a sizeable turnout is expected. ¶4. The inability of a larger Ministerial delegation to attend the AGOA Forum is partly the result of timing. It coincides with the Botswana Democratic Party's (BDP) conference, which will determine the leadership of the ruling party within the newly elected members from the October 2004 elections-an event not to be missed by Botswana's decision- and policy makers. AROIAN NNNN