US Embassy, US Export-Import Bank, US Overseas Private Investment Corporation, and the US-Angola Chamber of Commerce Gather the Angolan Business Community to Promote Goods and Services from the United States in Angola and in SADC Region

 

Ambassador Mozena speaks to Angolan business community at the opening of the Ex-Im Bank Seminar (photo: PAS Luanda)

On June 16th, 2009, the US Embassy in Angola and the US-Angola Chamber of Commerce jointly-hosted a seminar to present to the Angolan business community the opportunities offered by the U.S. Export-Import Bank (Ex-Im Bank) and U.S. Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC).  The seminar took place in the Diamante Room of the Alvalade Hotel in the Angolan capital of Luanda.  

On June 16th, 2009, the US Embassy in Angola and the US-Angola Chamber of Commerce jointly-hosted a seminar to present to the Angolan business community the opportunities offered by the U.S. Export-Import Bank (Ex-Im Bank) and U.S. Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC).  The seminar took place in the Diamante Room of the Alvalade Hotel in the Angolan capital of Luanda.  

The seminar gathered more than 170 businessmen and government officials from throughout Angola, far surpassing the 100 attendees that were expected. The event was also widely covered by local and international media outlets in the country, further conveying Ex-Im Bank and OPIC’s message to Angolan and foreign investors across Angola and in Europe through TV news, economic press coverage, and newspaper articles.

In his opening remarks, US Ambassador to Angola, Dan Mozena said the United States is committed to helping build a strong, prosperous Angola and that he had delivered this message personally to His Excellency President of Angola Jose Eduardo dos Santos in February of this year.  He added that Foreign Minister dos Anjos received this same message last month from Secretary Clinton during his historic visit to Washington.

Ambassador Mozena pointed out the steps taken so far towards realizing this commitment:

• In May, Foreign Minister Dos Anjos and U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk signed the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement, which establishes a bilateral council for identifying and addressing obstacles to increased trade and investment.
• In April, Ambassador Mozena went on a speaking tour across America to reach out to American business communities to explain the trade and investment opportunities in Angola.
• In May, the US-Angola Chamber of Commerce hosted a trade mission and business symposium in Luanda and plans to bring another trade mission later this year.
  
• Also in May, a delegation from the U.S. Department of the Treasury held high-level talks in Angola on how best the United States could provide technical assistance to the Central Bank and Finance Ministry.
• The US Embassy has also proposed to the Angolan Government the possibility of a Peace Corps program in Angola in which approximately one hundred American volunteers would teach English at secondary schools across the nation that would be identified by the Ministry of Education.  Improved English ability would enable Angola to engage more easily with its SADC neighbors and in the global economy.

 

US Ambassador Dan Mozena also said the two U.S. teams visiting Angola this week were

Angolan business community listen to Ex-Im Bank's Rick  Angiuoni presentation.

the latest steps in continuing US efforts to help build a prosperous Angola, recognizing that the United States is already the largest investor in Angola. US investments are largely concentrated in the oil and gas sectors, and they continue to grow. 

He expressed that he is pleased with the key role that American oil companies play in generating the resources that Angola is using to rebuild the nation after decades of war, noting that the US is now working to expand its trade and investment in other parts of the economy. 

Concluding his remarks, Ambassador Mozena explained that this seminar and a series of meetings throughout the week were aimed at explaining how Angolan businesses can access special financing from the U.S. Ex-Im Bank to purchase American products needed to help reconstruct the nation.

The Ex-Im team present then took the floor and detailed how Angolans can access this credit to buy American goods, saying that this is not a theoretical exercise and that they have already authorized a $120 million credit facility to help Angolan businesses purchase goods from the United States.