Outreach to the Business and Trade Community

Department of State --
Office of Commercial and Business Affairs

In an effort to strengthen our relationship with the business community, the U.S. Department of State's Office of Commercial and Business Affairs is initiating this e-mail service to our corporate, trade association, NGO and other contacts on current events and policies that may have an impact on U.S. businesses at home and abroad. We welcome your thoughts as well on the economic effects of Administration policies on your business efforts and will pass comments along to others in the web group as well as decisionmakers at the Department of State. As the first of our offerings, we thought you'd be interested in the Secretary of State's statement at the recently concluded Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development and Deputy Secretary Armitage's address on "America's Challenges in a Changed World".

In addition, let me introduce myself to those of you whom I have not yet had a chance to meet. I assumed my duties as the Special Representative for Commercial and Business Affairs in the Economic and Business Bureau of the Department of State on June 3. Our office was formed in 1992 to advise the Secretary of State and other senior officials on how best to coordinate business advocacy efforts within the State Department and among other agencies of the U.S. Government. We are the Department's point of contact for ensuring that business community views are well represented in foreign policy. I strongly believe that the partnership for prosperity at home and abroad between American business and American diplomacy has never been more important. Please forward names and coordinates of others you think appropriate to receive this email.

I look forward to hearing from you on a regular basis and working with you on issues of concern.

J. Frank Mermoud
Special Representative Commercial and Business Affairs
U.S. Department of State
Washington, DC 20520
Office 202-647-1625
Fax 202-647-3953