[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 168 (Wednesday, August 30, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Page 45140]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-21559]



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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
International Trade Administration


U.S.-Argentina Business Development Council--Commercial Law 
Initiative

AGENCY: International Trade Administration, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of Opportunity to Participate in Commercial Law 
Initiative.

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SUMMARY: On January 25, 1995, Secretary of Commerce Ronald H. Brown and 
Argentine Minister of Economy and Public Works and Services Domingo 
Cavallo signed Terms of Reference establishing the United States-
Argentina Business Development Council (``BDC''). The purpose of the 
BDC, a bilateral, public-private sector council, is to provide a forum 
for cooperation through which U.S. and Argentine public and private 
sector representatives can exchange information on commercial matters 
and encourage discussion on various themes related to bilateral 
business development and trade promotion. The BDC is comprised of a 
U.S. section and an Argentine section. The U.S. section is comprised of 
U.S. government officials and Chief Executive Officers and other top 
management level employees of U.S. companies with commercial interest 
in and experience with Argentina. The activities of the BDC may 
include, but are not limited to, the following: identifying commercial 
opportunities, impediments and issues of concern to the U.S. and 
Argentine business communities; improving dissemination of information 
on U.S.-Argentine market opportunities; developing sectoral or project 
oriented approaches to expanding business opportunities; implementing 
trade and business development programs; and other appropriate steps to 
foster commercial relations between the United States and Argentina. To 
implement these activities, the BDC has formed various working groups, 
one of which is the Commercial Law Working Group (``Law Group''). The 
Law Group intends to implement a cooperative work program called the 
Commercial Law Initiative or CLI, including information exchange 
activities and legal seminars.

DATES: In order to receive full consideration, comments must be 
received no later than: September 13, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Ursula Odiaga Iannone, Attorney-Advisor, Office of the Chief 
Counsel for International Commerce, U.S. Department of Commerce, Room 
5624, 14th and Constitution Avenue N.W., Washington, DC 20230; FAX 
(202) 482-4076.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ursula Odiaga Iannone, Attorney-
Advisor, Office of the Chief Counsel for International Commerce, U.S. 
Department of Commerce, Room 5624, 14th and Constitution Avenue N.W., 
Washington, DC 20230, (202) 482-1614.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Commercial Law Initiative

    The Law Group is co-chaired by the General Counsel of the 
Department of Commerce and the Undersecretary of Legal Affairs of the 
Argentine Ministry of Economy and Public Works and Services. The Law 
Group intends to implement a cooperative work program, the Commercial 
Law Initiative, to increase mutual understanding of the U.S. and 
Argentine legal systems as they affect U.S.-Argentine bilateral 
commerce (``commercial law''). Possible avenues of cooperation include: 
(1) Activities to exchange information on commercial law developments, 
practice and methods, e.g., legal seminars and exchanges of legal 
experts; (2) cross dissemination of commercial laws of each country; 
(3) establishing a repository for laws, international conventions and 
agreements and other legal materials; and (4) stimulating, supporting 
and monitoring cooperation and direct contacts between concerned 
organizations, enterprises, private sector attorneys and members of 
academia of both countries in the area of commercial law.

Legal Seminar

    As part of the CLI, the Law Group plans to conduct at least two 
legal seminars, first in Argentina and then in the United States. In 
accordance with the public sector-private sector partnership embodied 
in the BDC, the seminars will be organized by the Department of 
Commerce and the Argentine Ministry of Economy and Public Works and 
Services and co-sponsored and largely staffed by private sector 
attorneys from both countries who are experts in the priority topics to 
be covered. It is anticipated that the first seminar will take place in 
Argentina in March of 1996 and the second seminar will be held in the 
United States in the Fall of 1996. Legal seminar participants may be 
speakers, audience members and/or drafters of issue papers and will be 
required to pay a participation fee. As described below, the BDC will 
identify priority legal issues to be covered by the Law Group and in 
the legal seminars. The Department of Commerce Office of General 
Counsel will develop participation criteria for the legal seminars 
based in part on the priority legal issues identified as discussed 
below.

Opportunity to Provide Input on Priority Legal Issues

    As a first step in the CLI, the Co-Chairs of the Law Group will 
exchange letters identifying and prioritizing the issues that their 
respective BDC sections desire to be addressed in the following 18 
months by the Law Group. It is anticipated that this exchange will 
occur in September of 1995. The General Counsel of the Department of 
Commerce is accepting comments concerning the identification of 
priority issues to be raised by the U.S. section of the BDC. To 
identify legal issues relevant to conducting commercial relations with 
Argentina, please mail or FAX your comments to Ms. Iannone as indicated 
in the ADDRESSES section above.

    Authority: Act of February 14, 1903, c. 552, as amended, 15 
U.S.C. Sec. 1501 et seq., 32 Stat. 825; Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 
1979, 19 U.S.C. Sec. 2171 Note, 93 Stat. 1381.

    Dated: August 24, 1995.
Walter M. Bastian, III,
Director, Office of Latin America and the Caribbean.
[FR Doc. 95-21559 Filed 8-29-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DA-P