LJUBLJANA'S 2008 BUSINESS FACILITATION INCENTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 LJUBLJANA 000050 SIPDIS SIPDIS EEB/CBA FOR DENNIS WINSTEAD, EUR/NCE FOR TYEAGER, DOC/ITA FOR CRUSNAK, VIENNA FOR FCS CQUINLIVAN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: BEXP ECON EINV ETRD SI SUBJECT: LJUBLJANA'S 2008 BUSINESS FACILITATION INCENTIVE FUND (BFIF) PROPOSAL REF: STATE 87026 Summary -------------- ¶1. (U) BFIF funds are key in promoting U.S.-EU transatlantic economic cooperation in Slovenia, which is a theme in bilateral dialogue between the U.S. and the Government of Slovenia (GOS). Increasing U.S. exports to and expanding U.S. investment in Slovenia are two high priorities for Embassy Ljubljana. In 2004, the center-right government came in on a platform of economic reforms and widespread privatization. The reforms started slowly, stopped for a while, and just recently started gaining momentum as the current coalition government makes an effort to privatize some key sectors prior to parliamentary elections in the fall of 2008 and to energize its economy by promoting innovation and entrepreneurship. In the last two years, post has utilized the BFIF funds to engage the Slovenian government, NGOs, and businesses on issues of importance for the USG such as biotech, intellectual property rights, U.S. exports, military tenders, entrepreneurship and renewable energy. Slovene contacts have thanked Post for bringing U.S. expertise and energy to issues of great importance for Slovenia, and the EU. As the only former Yugoslav republic to join the European Union, and the first of the new accession countries to hold the EU Presidency, Slovenia is uniquely positioned and expects to play a major role in the political and economic development of the Western Balkans. Post requests BFIF funds to support necessary commercial training for our economic/commercial officer and FSN specialists, to participate in regional economic conferences, to host a roundtable on entrepreneurship and investment opportunities in Slovenia and the Western Balkans, and to host an IPR roundtable. End Summary. Promoting USG Policy Objectives in Europe -------------- ¶2. (U) Embassy Ljubljana has very successfully taken on the task of offering economic consultations and commercial services to U.S. and Slovenian companies, in the absence of a Foreign Commercial Service (FCS) representative. Recently, FCS has implemented new software and interface capabilities (CTS). To continue to provide the high level of commercial services, post's economic/commercial officer and two locally �A;employed economic/commercial specialists need to receive training on the new system. Post requests that a regional FCS IT specialist provide training in the new system at Embassy Ljubljana. This would guarantee that our entire section receives the necessary training. ¶3. (U) Slovenia has been actively engaging in the global economy. Slovenia joined the eurozone in January 2007, joined the Schengen zone in December 2007, is the midst of its accession work to join the OECD, and is currently running the EU presidency. With the emphasis put on U.S.-EU cooperation in the Transatlantic Economic Council, it will be important that the incoming economic/commercial officer, arriving at post summer 2008, and our economic/commercial specialists stay strongly connected to Brussels and Vienna, and participate in regional conferences. ¶4. (U) As the USG focuses on economic development and cooperation in the Balkans, Slovenian participants can add expertise and an EU perspective to the dialogue. The Department Of State and Department Of Commerce each plan to organize conferences focused on developing business opportunities in the Western Balkans. Post would like to participate and assist in coordinating a delegation of Slovenian businesspeople to participate in the DOS investment conference proposed for spring 2008 in London, and the DOC regional business conference proposed for summer 2008 in Vienna. ¶5. (U) Post has successfully initiated cooperation on key areas of mutual U.S.-EU economic interest such as IPR protection, innovation and entrepreneurship, and would like to continue to deepen the dialogue with Slovenes and others in the region. To expand the Department of Commerce's entrepreneurship program, post would like to organize a regional entrepreneurship conference in September, in cooperation with the Center for Entrepreneurship and Executive Development (CEED). CEED is a USAID-funded program that is helping to promote more stability in the Western Balkans and Central Europe by strengthening the economy through entrepreneurship. Post also would like to organize another roundtable on IPR, in cooperation with the Slovenian Intellectual Property Office (SIPO). Four senior SIPO LJUBLJANA 00000050 002 OF 003 examiners have attended training at the Global Intellectual Property Academy (GIPA),sponsored by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO),and post would like to work with SIPO to share the GIPA training with a wider community of patent officials. Funds Requested -------------- ¶6. (U) Post requests $11,220 in BFIF funds to support the activities listed above and itemized below. The figures are estimated costs, taking into consideration the fluctuation in the dollar-euro exchange rate. Each activity has been listed with a subtotal with the total request at the end. Post would return any unused funds to BFIF. Commercial Software Training for FSO and FSNs -------------- - Trainer,s flight to Ljubljana from Zurich: 500 USD - Trainer,s hotel for 2 nights: 420 USD - M and IE for 2 travel days, and 2 work day: 350 USD SUBTOTAL: 1270 USD Commercial Connectivity -------------- Continued funding for the Internet connection that supports our commercial services: 300 USD Roundtable on Regional Entrepreneurship -------------- - Travel for speaker from Europe: 600 USD - Hotel for 1 night: 210 USD - M and IE for 2 travel days and 1 consultation day: 250 USD - Rental of Conference room: 1200 USD - Material for Handout: 300 USD - Miscellaneous expenses: 400 USD SUBTOTAL: 2960 USD IPR Roundtable -------------- - Rental of meeting hall for roundtable: 800 USD - Materials for distribution: 200 USD - Miscellaneous expenses: 300 USD SUBTOTAL: 1300 USD Economic/Commercial Officer Consultations in Brussels -------------- -------------- - Flight to Brussels: 250 USD - 2 nights hotel : 450 USD - M and IE for 1 day consultation, 2 travel days: 450 USD SUBTOTAL: 1150 USD Investment Conference on the Balkans in London -------------- - - Flight for one FSO and one FSN to London: 450 USD - 2 hotel rooms for 1 night: 710 USD - M and IE for 2 persons, 2 travel days, 1 day conference: 280 360= 640 USD SUBTOTAL: 1800 USD Economic/Commercial Officer Consultations in Vienna and Attendance at Regional Business Conference on the Balkans -------------- -------------- - Vienna transportation for 1 FSO and 1 FSN: 600 USD - Hotel for 2 nights: 720 USD - M and IE for 2 travel days, 1 day conference, 1 day consultations: = 1120 USD SUBTOTAL: 2440 USD TOTAL BFIF FUNDS REQUESTED: 11,220 USD Planning Milestones -------------- ¶7. (U) Using prior BFIF funds, Post developed a strong working relationship with the Department of Energy, Department of Commerce, and State,s Commercial Business Administration office. Post has also cooperated with IIP/EUR and USAID to obtain funding for economic workshops, and business conferences. Post plans to use these contacts to secure an American speaker for the entrepreneurship conference, which we plan to conduct in September 2008. ¶8. (U) Post points of contact for BFIF-related matters are Economic/Commercial Officer Julianna Kim, kimjj4@state.gov and Economic/Commercial Specialist Matjaz Kavcic, kavcicM@state.gov. LJUBLJANA 00000050 003 OF 003 COLEMAN