^{USLBA Trade Mission}

US-LIBYA BUSINESS ASSOCIATION TRADE DELEGATION RECEIVES RED CARPET TREATMENT BY LIBYAN GOVERNMENT; DISCUSSES $25 BILLION IN 2007 PROCUREMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Washington, DC— The US-Libya Business Association (USLBA) led a historic high level trade delegation to Libya December 3-7, 2006.  The 12 member delegation, led by Executive Director David Goldwyn and Association Chairman and Acting President of the Middle East Institute David Mack, included senior representatives from Booz, Allen and Hamilton, BP, Chevron, ConocoPhilips, Hess, Marathon and Shell was received by the Libyan Foreign Minister Abdel-Rahman Shalqam, Secretary of Planning Taher Jehaimi, Secretary of the General Planning Council Chairman Abdel Hafeez Zelitney,  Secretary of Economy, Trade and Investment Taib Safi, National Oil Company Chairman Shukri Ghanem and NOC Board member Faraj Mohamed Said, Ahmed Elhad Aoun, Azzam Ali Elmesallati, Omar Abdallah Aljeweifi, and Ibraheem Ali Elsoul, and Chairman of Energy and Infrastructure Authority Buzaid Dorda. The delegation also met with the Ambassador Charles Cecil, Charge d'Affaires of the US Embassy, and visiting members of the US Departments of Commerce and Energy and was hosted for dinners by Secretaries Taher Jehaimi, Abdel Hafeez Zelitney and Buzaid Dorda as well as the Libyan Businessman’s Association.

“We were deeply impressed with the warmth and quality of our exchanges with the government,” said David Goldwyn, Executive Director of USLBA. “We received detailed presentations on approximately US $25 billion in 2007 opportunities in road, railroad, water and power infrastructure, heavy equipment sales and spare parts, housing, aviation, oil and gas exploration, enhanced oil recovery and alternative energy and services and enjoyed full and frank discussions on the steps our countries must take to expand our trade and investment relationship.”

The delegation also heard Libyan plans for expanded trade in tourism, agriculture, telecommunications, education and the health sector. We discussed the potential for talks between our governments on our bilateral trade and investment relationship, Libya’s WTO accession, and science and technology cooperation.

The US-Libya Business Association is the only Washington-based non-profit bilateral organization that promotes commercial relations between the United States and Libya.  Its membership includes include AIG, Boeing, Booz Allen Hamilton, BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Fluor, Hess Corporation, Marathon Oil, Motorola, Occidental Petroleum, Shell, Valmont, and White & Case LLP.  The mission of the Association is to enhance US-Libya trade and investment, advance the US-Libya bilateral relationship and educate the public about its importance. The Association was organized after the US-Libya rapprochement, guided by the President’s policy encouraging commercial relations. 

USLBA has hosted Libyan Foreign Minister Abdul Rahman Shalqam, and met with Assistant Secretary of State David Welch, Assistant Secretary of Commerce Peter Lichtenbaum, Under Secretary of State Robert Joseph, Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Assistant Secretary of Energy for Policy and International Affairs Karen Harbert, Deputy Division Chief of the Middle East and Central Asia Department of the International Monetary Fund Mohamad Hassan Elhage, and Chief of the Libyan Liaison Office Ali Suleiman Aujali.  The Association also hosted standing room only conference on “U.S.-Libya Re-Engagement: The Path Forward,” featuring Congressman Tom Lantos, Libyan Planning Minister Jehaimi, and Assistant Secretary for Near East Affairs David Welch.

For more information, please email smoynihan@us-lba.org.