The United States-Greek Initiative for Technology Cooperation With the Balkans; Joint Science and Technology Cooperation Council

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Technology Administration

[Docket No. 9805-29138-8138-01]

The United States-Greek Initiative for Technology Cooperation

With the Balkans; Joint Science and Technology Cooperation Council

AGENCY: Technology Administration, Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice; request for nominations for joint council.

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SUMMARY: The Technology Administration invites nominations of

individuals to appointment to the Joint Council on Technology

Cooperation established under a Memorandum on Understanding between the

United States Department of Commerce and the Greek Ministry of National

Economy concerning technology cooperation with the Balkans. The

Technology Administration will consider all nominations received in

response to this notice of appointment to the Joint Council.

DATES: Please submit nominations on or before January 8, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Please submit nominations to Lucy H. Richards, Office of

Technology Policy, Technology Administration, Department of Commerce,

Room 4411, Washington, D.C. 20230. Nominations may also be submitted by

fax to 202-482-4826.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lucy H. Richards, telephone 202-482-

6804; fax 202-482-4826, e-mail Lucy__R[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Goals of the Memorandum of Understanding

On January 17, 1998, the United States Department of Commerce and

the Greek Ministry of National Economy (hereinafter known as the

``Participants'') entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)

concerning technology cooperation with the Balkans, to be known as

``The United States-Greek Initiative for Technology Cooperation with

the Balkans'' (ITCB). A Joint Science and Technology Cooperation

Advisory Council (hereinafter ``the Joint Council'') is to be

established under the MOU.

The Participants recognize that working together to foster

collaborative and mutually beneficial technology cooperation with

countries in the Balkan region will provide economic benefits to the

Balkan region and to the United States and Greece. The goal of the

Participants is to foster collaboration among public and private

entities in the Participants'countries, and public and private entities

in the Balkan region in order to enhance technological capabilities in

the Balkan region, enhance the relationship between U.S. and Greek

private sector firms and entities in the Balkan region, and promote the

development of stable, free market economies in the Balkan region. For

the purposes of the MOU, the Balkan region is to encompass Albania,

Bulgaria, Romania, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and any

other countries in the region that the Participants may later mutually

agree to include.

Cooperative Activities

Cooperative activities under this MOU may include, among others,

coordinated and joint research and technology projects, studies, and

investigations; joint technological courses, workshops, conferences,

and symposia; exchanges of science and technology information and

documentation in the context of cooperative activities; exchanges of

scientists, specialists, and researchers; exchanges or sharing of

equipment or materials; and other forms of scientific and technological

cooperation as may be deemed appropriate. Cooperative activities should

reflect technological strengths in the United States and Greece, and

should be structured to provide an appropriate role for U.S. and Greek

private sector and academic organizations. Cooperative activities

should also seek to include public and private science and technology

establishments in the Balkan region and encourage the application and

adoption of technology in their relevant entities.

Information on the Joint Council

For the purposes of implementing this MOU, the Participants intend

to jointly establish a Joint Science and Technology Cooperation

Advisory Council, to consist of six members, three to be designated by,

and serve at the pleasure of the Greek Ministry of National Economy,

and three to be designated by, and serve at the pleasure of, the U.S.

Department of Commerce. Each participant may also designate alternate

members.

The members of the Joint Council will be expected to carry out the

following functions:

1. Recommend to the Participants overall policies under the MOU;

2. Identify fields and forms of cooperation in accordance with the

goals and objectives of the MOU;

3. Review, assess, and make specific recommendations concerning

cooperative activities;

4. Prepare periodic reports concerning the activities of the Joint

Council and cooperative activities undertaken under the MOU for

submission to the Participants; and

5. Undertake such further functions as may appropriately be

approved by the Participants.

Meetings of the Joint Council

The Joint Council may meet annually, or at other regular intervals

as deemed appropriate, alternately in Greece and the United States, and

additionally as may be determined by the Participants.

Length of Service

A member's length of service on the Joint Council is not stipulated

in the MOU and is discretionary with the Department of Commerce.

Individuals chosen for membership will serve a term that best fits the

needs and objectives of the Joint Council. Members will serve a two or

three-year term with staggered term ends. Upon the completion of a

member's term, the Department will either repeat this recruitment and

selection process or extend the member's term as long as the member

proves to work effectively on the Joint Council and his/her expertise

is still needed.

Membership Criteria and Requirements

The U.S. members of the Joint Council shall be eminent leaders,

broadly representative of industry, academia, or government, who have

experience in technology development, technology diffusion, or

international technology collaboration. They shall be U.S. citizens.

They shall be familiar with the business climate and the status of

technology and economic development in Greece and the Balkans, with

Greek and Balkan industry, or with Greek and Balkan academic

institutions. Members of the Joint Council shall serve without

compensation.

The Department of Commerce is committed to equal opportunity in the

workplace, and seeks a broad-based and diverse Joint Council

membership.

Conflict of Interest

Nominees will be evaluated for their ability to contribute to the

goals and objectives of the MOU. Nominees will be vetted in accordance

with processes established by the Department of Commerce in February

1997, as soon as possible following tentative selection. The vetting

system has three components: (1) an internal review for possible

appearance of conflict problems; (2) an external review for possible

appearance of problems; and (3) a recusal/ethics agreement review.

Dated: November 4, 1998.

Kelly H. Carnes,

Deputy Assistant Secretary For Technology Policy.

[FR Doc. 98-30186 Filed 11-10-98; 8:45 am]

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