For Immediate Release: September 14, 2012
Contact: Lorri Crowley (202) 482-3809
Senior Commerce Trade Official Conducts Key Economic and Commercial Dialogues in Europe
WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Market Access and Compliance Michael Camuñez wrapped up his week-long European visit in Berlin, Germany today to conduct the Informal Commercial Exchange (ICE) talks with counterparts in the German government.
During his European visit, Camuñez conducted the Economic and Commercial Dialogue (ECD) with high level government officials in the Czech Ministry of Industry and Trade and led the U.S. delegation to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s (OSCE) 20th Economic and Environmental Forum in Prague.
The OSCE, which is comprised of 56 states from Europe, Central Asia and North America, is the world's largest security organization. The organization takes a comprehensive approach to security that includes three dimensions: politico-military, economic and environmental, and human.
This year's Economic and Environmental Forum was devoted to the theme of promoting security and stability through transparency and good governance. Forum participants focused on the challenges that OSCE participating states are facing in promoting good governance and discussed strategies to address these issues domestically and internationally. Participants also reviewed the implementation of existing OSCE commitments in the field of anti-corruption and discussed how the OSCE can support participating states.
The U.S.-Czech Republic ECD is intended to deepen the commercial and trade relationship between the United States and the Czech Republic and to enhance collaboration in areas that may require more focused attention by both governments. Similarly, the U.S.-Germany ICE was created to foster closer cooperation on key commercial issues of interest to both governments and to companies operating in both countries.
These two bilateral dialogues with key European allies and trading partners are meant to advance the work in which the Department of Commerce is engaged with its counterparts in the European Union. The dialogues also serve to highlight the continued importance of the transatlantic trade relationship for the United States government, which amounted to more than $986 billion dollars in two-way trade for 2011.
“Our economic relationship with the European Union and its Member States is the key not only to transatlantic growth and job creation, but a launching point for global prosperity and cooperation,” said Camuñez.
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