U.S.-Argentina Business Development CouncilCommercial Law Initiative

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]

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