OPIC co-hosted a luncheon with the State Department at the Chamber of Commerce on August 11 for U.S. Companies investing, or interested in investing, in Egypt and Tunisia. OPIC’s Executive Vice President Mimi Alemayehou, and 
Managing Director of Investment Development and Coordination John Moran (pictured), spoke to representatives of some 40 major U.S. companies about the financial tools OPIC offers to support their investments in Egypt, Tunisia, and the greater MENA (Middle East/North Africa) region, as well as the region’s investment opportunities and risks. Earlier this year, OPIC committed $2 billion in financial support for the MENA region, and an additional $1 million specifically for Egypt.
Alemayehou, who lived in Tunisia when she served as U.S. Executive Director of the African Development Bank prior to joining OPIC, described Tunisia as a country of “business-oriented people” with a plethora of opportunities for U.S. investors. She urged companies not to miss the historic opportunity to support the fledgling democracies of Egypt and Tunisia by investing in their economies and their people.
From Left to Right: Lionel C. Johnson, Vice President of Middle East Affairs, U.S. Chamber of Commerce; Heather K. Lanigan, Country Manager, Middle East, North Africa and Europe, U.S. Trade and Development Agency; John Moran, Managing Director of Investment Development and Coordination, OPIC; Robert D. Hormats, Under Secretary for Economic, Energy and Agricultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State; Mimi Alemayehou, Executive Vice President, OPIC; Khush Choksy, Executive Director, U.S.-Egypt Business Council.
