Afghan President Will Meet with Businesses Building Bridges Participants

On January 30, 2006, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and President Karzai launched the BBB initiative to highlight the importance of the private sector in Afghanistan’s reconstruction. High-level U.S. business leaders were selected to offer strategic vision and guidance to Afghan leaders on how to activate private sector growth in their country. The BBB leaders will develop a set of recommendations for the Afghan government on ways to aid and promote the private sector. The BBB group will also develop partnership and mentoring links with Afghan business leaders, to encourage further foreign investment and U.S. business involvement in Afghanistan.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai will meet at Blair House, Monday, September 25, with seven high-level U.S. business executives who will lead the Businesses Building Bridges (BBB) initiative. The executives are David Murdock, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Dole Food Company, Inc.; Len Rodman, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer, Black & Veatch Corporation; Carol Bartz, Chief Executive Officer, Autodesk, Inc.; Barbara Barrett, Owner and President, Triple Creek Guest Ranch; Joie Gregor, Vice-Chairman, Heidrick and Struggles; Irv Bailey, Senior Advisor, Chrysalis Ventures; and Mike McCullough, former Chief Executive Officer, Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc.

Also attending the meeting will be Liza Wright, Assistant to the President for Presidential Personnel, Josette Sheeran, Under Secretary for Economic, Business, and Agricultural Affairs; Daniel S. Sullivan, Assistant Secretary for Economic and Business Affairs, and Robert Mosbacher, Jr., President of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation.

In addition to their meeting with President Karzai, the executives will also meet with senior officials at the White House and the Department of State.