Press Release

Three U.S. Cabinet Secretaries, Three Latin American Vice-Presidents and 20 Nations Confirmed to Participate in Americas Competitiveness Forum

WASHINGTON—Today U.S. Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez announced that three United States Cabinet Secretaries, three Latin American Vice-Presidents and senior officials from twenty Western Hemisphere nations have confirmed their participation in the inaugural Americas Competitiveness Forum to be held June 11–12, 2007, in Atlanta, Ga.

“The Americas Competitiveness Forum is an excellent opportunity for government and private sector leaders to discuss policies and strategies that attract investment and promote economic prosperity throughout the Western Hemisphere,” said Secretary Gutierrez. “Global competition is increasing and this innovative forum will bring key public and private-sector leaders together to discuss ways to make the Americas more competitive in the international marketplace.”

In an increasingly competitive global environment the Americas Competitiveness Forum (ACF) presents a unique opportunity for countries in the region to gather and discuss how to foster competitiveness in the Western Hemisphere. These countries, with close proximity to the United States, the world’s largest marketplace, can use this proximity as an advantage. The ACF will facilitate the sharing of ideas and examples of success from other countries in the region in education, innovation, supply chain strategies, workforce development and small business development growth. President Bush has recently traveled to five countries in the Americas and reiterated the United States’ commitment to helping the democracies in the region.

Joining Gutierrez, the host of the Americas Competitiveness Forum, are United States Secretary of Treasury Henry M. Paulson and Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings.

In addition to dozens of Minister-level government officials from throughout the region, the 33 democratically-elected countries of the Western Hemisphere will be represented by three Vice Presidents: Ana Vilma de Escobar of El Salvador, Jaime Morales Carazo of Nicaragua, and Kevin Casas Zamora of Costa Rica.

Luis Alberto Moreno, President of the Inter-American Development Bank, and Hernando de Soto, President of Peru's Institute for Liberty and Democracy, are scheduled to also address the state of competitiveness in the Western Hemisphere.

The Americas Competitiveness Forum will provide a venue for government ministers from the Western Hemisphere and leaders from the private sector, academia, and non-governmental organizations to explore cutting edge ideas and best practices in several key areas of competitiveness. Each day will be filled with dynamic plenary speakers and breakout sessions.

For more information, please visit http://www.ita.doc.gov/competitiveness/ACF and for the agenda, please visit http://trade.gov/competitiveness/acf/acf-agenda.pdf.