BOLIVIA: USG REGIONAL ENERGY OFFICERS

UNCLAS LA PAZ 001409 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON PGOV PREL ENRG EPET EINV BL EFIN SUBJECT: BOLIVIA: USG REGIONAL ENERGY OFFICERS ¶1. Embassy La Paz proposes to host a USG regional energy officers conference August 19-21. The goal will be to share information about South American energy affairs and coordinate energy sector reporting. A Department official (TBD) will help establish a reporting agenda and additional coordination efforts. The event will coincide with both the International Conference of Bolivian Gas and Energy hosted by the Bolivia Chamber of Hydrocarbons (CBH) in Santa Cruz, August 19-20 (please see web site for description, www.cbh.org.bo) and an Embassy La Paz sponsored conference on biofuels. ¶2. The event will begin on August 19 with meetings targeted solely for USG employees. In the morning, the current state of affairs in each country will be discussed and future reporting and teleconferencing ideas will be examined. Lunch will feature the participation of the general manager of the sole U.S. hydrocarbon company operating out of Santa Cruz. The afternoon will be dedicated to biofuels. Morgan Perkins, the Director of the Agricultural Trade Office in Sao Paulo will present the current state of affairs of the Brazil/U.S. Memorandum of Understanding and biofuel development in general throughout the continent. Additionally, Anne Braghetta, the Director of the Regional Environmental Office HUB for South America will frame biofuel development within its environmental limitations. Following these presentations, the group will attend the CBH roundtable on biofuels. In the evening an event will be hosted by Embassy La Paz. ¶3. On August 20, the group will attend the CBH conference which will have two panels dedicated to examining regional energy security. It will also feature a luncheon keynote address by either the president of PetroPeru or the head of the Bolivian state hydrocarbon company (YPFB). The Chamber has agree to wave the US$ 200 dollar entrance fee for officers. A dinner will be arranged with industry leaders. ¶4. On August 21, officers will attend the biofuels conference hosted by Embassy La Paz. The event will feature Tim Killeen, a top expert from Conservation International on the development of biofuels in the Amazon basin, the USDA representative from Sao Paulo, and a biofuel industry expert from Brazil. This will formally conclude the USG regional energy officers conference. (For those officers interested, a second biofuels conference sponsored by Embassy La Paz will take place in La Paz on August 22 and participation is welcome). To confirm your attendance or if you have any questions please contact Michael Stewart (Stewartmp@State.gov or 591-2-216-8862, IVG 547) for more details. Sending post will be responsible for expenses. URS