Ambassador Wayne Meets with President of OAS Private

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PASS FED BOARD OF GOVERNORS FOR PATRICE ROBITAILLE
EX-IM BANK FOR MICHELE WILKINS
OPIC FOR GEORGE SCHULTZ AND RUTH ANN NICASTRI
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E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON KTEX AR
SUBJECT: Ambassador Wayne Meets with President of OAS Private
Sector of the Americas Group, Discusses 2007 Americas
Competitiveness Forum


1. Summary: On December 12, Ambassador Anthony Wayne met
with the President of the OAS Private Sector of the
Americas (PAS) group and a delegation of PAS members from
Argentina. They spoke about their desire to reinvigorate a
trade dialogue and to foster corporate social
responsibility. PAS members also expressed a strong
interest in supporting the Americas Competitiveness Forum
and Ministerial that Secretary of Commerce Gutierrez will
host in June 2007 in Atlanta, as well as helping to
strengthen U.S.-Argentina bilateral relations. End
Summary.


2. On December 12, Ambassador Anthony Wayne, accompanied
by SCO Brian Brisson and Senior Commercial Specialist
Eugenio Pallares, participated in a luncheon hosted by
Ernesto Gutierrez, the first and current President of the
OAS Private Sector of the Americas (PAS) Group that was
officially sanctioned by OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel
Insulza in April 2006. Other attendees included Julio
Werthein, Treasurer of PAS and President of the Inter-
American Trade and Production Council, Juan Bruchou,
President of AMCHAM, Hector Mendez, President of the
Argentine Industrial Union, Carlos de la Vega, President of
the Argentine Chamber of Commerce, Enrique Mantilla,
President of the Exporters Chamber, and Jorge Brito,
President of the Bankers Association.


3. The PAS is made up of business leaders in all of the
countries of the Western Hemisphere. It grew out of the
OASGA hosted by the USG in Fort Lauderdale in June 2005.
The Argentine private sector participated actively in the
business meetings organized by USDOC prior to the OASGA and
agreed to organize the Private Sector Forum in Buenos Aires
immediately prior to the IV Summit of the Americas. The
business forum, in which Secretary of Commerce Carlos
Gutierrez participated, was very well attended and
demonstrated the important role the private sector can and
should play as an advisor and ally to WH governments
seeking to fortify democracy, alleviate poverty, generate
jobs and increase regional competitiveness. The PSA
President and Treasurer are both Argentine, and the
Argentine chapter has played a pivotal role in the
organization of PSA activities, including the Private
Sector Forum held during the OASGA in the Dominican
Republic earlier this year.


4. Trade and Soft Diplomacy: The Argentine PSA members
that participated in the December 12 luncheon expressed a
strong commitment to doing what they can to promote better
relations with the United States. Both the Presidents of
the Argentine Chamber of Commerce and Argentine Industrial
Union (Chamber of Industry) said they wanted to help re-
establish the free trade dialogue between the United States
and Argentina. The President of the Chamber of Exporters






expressed great appreciation to the U.S. Congress for
having voted to extend GSP benefits for two more years; he
noted that GSP has been very important to exporters in
certain key sectors of the Argentine economy. Many of the
business leaders expressed a feeling that the United States
and Argentina have a window of opportunity at this time to
strengthen their relationship. As has been the case in
meetings with other business, civic and political leaders,
one of the participants said that the U.S. should resume
coldwar era ?soft-diplomacy? initiatives like promotion of
cultural events, educational exchanges and a more balanced
public image of the United States.


5. Corporate Social Responsibility: One of the key themes
of the luncheon was corporate social responsibility and the
continued need for the private sector in Argentina and
elsewhere in Latin America to improve its image through CSR
initiatives and an unquestionable commitment to their home
countries. They coincided in their assessment that the
severe economic crisis that Argentina experienced in
2001/2002 had greatly enhanced the private sector?s
recognition of the importance of CSR activities and their
commitment to continue them even after the crisis had
abated.


6. Competitiveness: Another key theme of the luncheon was
the need for increased regional competitiveness. Without
exception the lunch participants all expressed great
enthusiasm for the Americas Competitiveness Forum and
Ministerial that Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez
will host in Atlanta in June 2007. The business leaders
all agreed that WH governments and private sector
organizations must partner with each other to ensure that
their countries? comparative advantages are efficiently
translated into competitive advantages though the reduction
of bureaucracy and the implementation of a longer term
approach to economic policy. PSA President Ernesto
Gutierrez said that the PSA and the Argentine chapter would
play a leading role in coordinating strong private sector
participation from throughout the Western Hemisphere in the
competitiveness forum


7. Comment: The spirit and message conveyed by the
Argentine private sector was one of engagement and a
recognition of the important role they have to play in the
social and economic advancement of their country. Their
strong participation in the OAS PSA process demonstrates
clearly that they are players who recognize the importance
of achieving greater regional competitiveness to ensure
Argentine success in the increasingly global economy.

Wayne