Under Secretary Robert D. Hormats meets with North Africa Officials in Advance of Maghreb Entrepreneurship Conference

Under Secretary Robert D. Hormats meets with North Africa Officials in Advance of Maghreb Entrepreneurship Conference

Office of the Spokesman

Washington, DC

October 8, 2010

Under Secretary Robert D. Hormats met today with senior economic officials from Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, and Tunisia for discussions on increasing U.S. engagement in the region, including private sector partnerships, and possible areas for U.S. – North Africa regional economic cooperation, including the U.S.-Maghreb Entrepreneurship Conference to be held on December 1-2 in Algiers. Under Secretary Hormats informed the officials that Assistant Secretary Jose W. Fernandez will lead the U.S. delegation to the U.S.-Maghreb Entrepreneurship Conference.

The December conference, organized by the U.S. - Algeria Business Council, is a direct result of the Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship held in Washington, D.C. in April 2010, and demonstrates the continuing work with the private sector and nongovernmental organizations to create regional partnerships that promote entrepreneurship. The conference will bring together North African business leaders and entrepreneurs, aspiring youth entrepreneurs from the region, and business leaders from North African emigrant communities, along with U.S. business leaders and entrepreneurs. There will be moderated discussions on key issues and challenges for advancing entrepreneurship, including: lessons learned from the Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship; access to capital; small and medium-sized businesses; youth entrepreneurship; U.S. and Maghreb business leader perspectives; cross-border business partnership initiatives; transatlantic business networking; innovation and technology incubators; and business opportunities in the arts. It will also provide capacity building for entrepreneurs through a number of skills training workshops and networking opportunities.

The State Department, Department of Commerce and other government agencies are supporting the organizers of this event by identifying key speakers, participants, and U.S. entrepreneurs who can help advance our shared goals of economic partnerships for entrepreneurship, innovation, and job creation in the Maghreb.

For more information about the U.S.-Maghreb Entrepreneurship Conference, please visit: www.us-algeria.org

PRN: 2010/1446

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