White House Science Official Richard Russell Meets

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 001747 SIPDIS SIPDIS WHA/EPSC FOR LKUBISKE, FCORNEILLE EEB/CIP FOR ANNE JILLSON, NICK FETCHKO USDOC FOR 4322/ITA/MAC/OLAC/PEACHER NSC FOR ROD HUNTER TREASURY FOR TRAN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON EINV PREL ECPS ITU OVIP TSPL TINT AR SUBJECT: White House Science Official Richard Russell Meets Argentine Counterparts ¶1. Ambassador Richard Russell, United States Representative to the 2007 World Radiocommunication Conference, and concurrently Deputy Director for Technology of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) in the Executive Office of the President, visited Argentina on August 27 and 28. Ambassador Russell's delegation also included officials from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, Department of Commerce; Department of State; Federal Communications Commission; Defense Spectrum Organization; and the Air Force Frequency Management Agency. ¶2. Ambassador Russell and his delegation met with the Government of Argentina (GOA) Secretary of Communications Lisandro Salas and his staff. At this meeting, Ambassador Russell and Secretary Salas reviewed the two nations' radio-frequency spectrum and satellite orbit positions ahead of the October 2007 Geneva World Radiocommunication Conference. ¶3. Separately, Ambassador Russell and his delegation also met with senior GOA science and technology officials to discuss current developments in basic research, telecommunications, biotechnology and nanotechnology. The two sides also reviewed the status of the many active science and technology partnerships between our two nations. GOA participants included Ms. Agueda Menvielle, National Director for International Cooperation, Secretary of Science, Technology and Productive Innovation; Dr. Lino Baranao, President, National Agency for the Promotion of Science, Technology and Innovation; and Dr. Jorge Tezon, Manager for Science and Technology Development, National Research Council. ¶4. Ambassador Russell and his delegation also held a breakfast meeting with the American Chamber of Commerce's Subcommittee on Telecommunications. Subjects discussed included Argentina's fixed and mobile telecommunications market; future satellite and mobile communications trends; the planned January 2008 public auction in the United States of the analog spectrum and subsequent transfer to the digital standard for transmitting TV over-the-air in February 2009; and spectrum limitations in the United States. WAYNE