US Department of State Dispatch,
Vol 1, No 18, December 31, 1990
Title: US-Mexico Free Trade Agreement
Date: Dec 31, 199012/31/90
Category: Policy Briefs (Gist)
Region: North America
Country: Mexico
Subject: Trade/Economics, North America Free Trade
[TEXT]
The governments of the United States and Mexico are preparing to
negotiate a historic free trade and investment agreement. Such an
agreement would be a catalyst for economic growth and
development in both countries. The two neighbors would obtain
significant benefits from increased trade, investment, and jobs.
US Goals
The US government seeks a broad agreement to eliminate
restrictions on the flow of goods, services, and investment between
the United States and Mexico. US objectives include:
-- Reduction of tariffs to zero over a period of years (the
period is 10 years in the US-Canada FTA);
-- Elimination (as far as possible) of nontariff barriers on
goods and services;
-- Ensuring an open investment climate; and
-- Full protection of intellectual property rights (patents,
copyrights, and trademarks).
Expanded Trade
Mexico is our third largest trade partner with bilateral commerce
of $52 billion in 1989. An FTA would lead to expanded trade with
Mexico and the creation of additional jobs for US workers. It would
give US exporters unrestricted access to a Mexican market of 81
million people, which may reach 100 million by the year 2000.
Mexico purchases more than two-thirds of its imports from the
United States. Traditional US competitive advantages--geographic,
cultural, and historic links--in this important market would be
further enhanced by an FTA.
As the Mexican economy grows, a substantial part of the
increased income--as much as 15%--is spent on US goods and
services. Strong Mexican growth is expected because of President
Salinas' economic reforms. Mexico's middle class is increasing as a
percentage of the total population; this means more consumers for
American products.
The United States benefits from expanded trade. For each
additional $1 billion in real net exports, about 25,000 new US jobs
are created. About two-thirds of US economic growth in 1988 can
be attributed to trade. Increased exports have helped the US
economy expand out of recessions in the past.
The United States and Mexico are consulting with Canada to
determine how it might participate in the US-Mexico trade
negotiations. A North American free trade area encompassing all
three countries would constitute the world's largest market, with
annual production of more than $6 trillion and with almost 370
million consumers.
Investment
The United States is the source for 65% ($25 billion) of foreign
direct investment in Mexico. Therefore, the US government has a
strong interest in encouraging favorable conditions for new and
expanded investments in Mexico. US firms investing there tend to
use US suppliers and designing and managerial talent. Overall US
and Mexican competitiveness in international markets would be
enhanced by the opportunities offered by an FTA.
In May 1989, President Salinas expanded foreign ownership
(in many cases up to as much as 100%) in sectors accounting for
nearly two-thirds of Mexico's economic output. He also streamlined
the approval process for foreign investments. An FTA would further
enhance the investment climate facing US firms in Mexico.
The further partnerships and alliances in industrial
agriculture and service sectors that an open trade and investment
climate will foster can take advantage of the complementary
strengths of our two economies. The result will be that we will
both be more competitive against third country competition in our
own markets and abroad--and that translates into more jobs and
investment in the US and Mexico alike.
US Foreign Policy Benefits
Mexico is a close neighbor and friend, and an FTA would strengthen
our good relationship. Mexico also is important as the cornerstone
of a comprehensive Western Hemisphere policy. A US-Mexico FTA,
added to the existing US-Canada FTA, would give further substance
to President Bush's long-range vision of a hemisphere-wide free
trade area. Mexico's example of market-oriented economic reform
is a significant role model for other developing countries.
Steps Toward an FTA
--June 1990. Presidents Bush and Salinas announce their mutual
goal of a comprehensive FTA.
--August 1990. President Salinas formally requests negotiations.
--September 1990. President Bush notifies the US Congress of US
intent to enter into negotiations with Mexico.
--Spring 1991. Following notification, the House Ways and Means
and Senate Finance Committees have 60 legislative days (i.e., until
spring 1991) during which they can disallow the use of "fast-track"
procedures. (Under these procedures, Congress can only approve
without amendments or reject the bill implementing an FTA.)
--Spring or Summer 1991. Formal negotiations begin after the
expiration of the 60-day requirement and are expected to conclude
in 1992.(###)
US Department of State Dispatch,
Vol 1, No 18, December 31, 1990
Title: Christmas Message to the Troops
Bush
Source: President Bush
Description: The White House, Washington, DC
Date: Dec 24, 199012/24/90
Category: Speeches, Testimony, Statements
Subject: Military Affairs
[TEXT]
Merry Christmas and happy holidays to you who are standing watch
around the world. Never have I been prouder of our troops. Never
have I been prouder to be your Commander in Chief. Because in this
season of peace it is your commitment and your courage that makes
peace possible.
We think of you in the snowy fields and runways of Europe
where, thanks to you, millions are celebrating Christmas and
Hanukkah openly for the first time in 45 years. We think of you off
the coast of the Philippines and Japan and the DMZ [demilitarized
zone] in Korea. We think of you in Panama, where lightning success
last Christmas ended the reign of a despot and brought peace to a
people. We think of you in the air, on the high seas, and at bases and
embassies around the world, who kept our country untouched and at
peace throughout the long winter darkness of the Cold War.
Back home, some talk of the cost of war. But it is you who
understand the price of peace. Each Christmas Day we close our
eyes in prayer and think of what Harry Truman called "the humble
surroundings of the nativity and how from a straw-littered stable
shone a light which for nearly 20 centuries has given men strength,
comfort, and peace."
It's distant in time but close within our hearts because on
this Christmas Day, hour by hour, hand in hand, Americans will send
their prayers eastward across the ocean and halfway across the
world not only to the town of Bethlehem, but to the sands and
shores where you stand in harm's way.
We're in the Gulf because the world must not reward
aggression, because our vital interests are at stake, and because of
the brutality and danger of Saddam Hussein. We're there backed by
12 UN resolutions and the forces of 25 other countries.
Barbara and I spent Thanksgiving with our men and women
over there. And when we got back, I spoke to the American people,
told them of your bravery, and reminded them why we're there.
First I put the immorality of the invasion of Kuwait itself. I said I
was deeply concerned about what has happened and is happening
there--concerned about a ruthless despot's attempt to dominate a
volatile and critical region, concerned about his efforts to acquire
nuclear arms, and concerned that a promising era is threatened by
an international outlaw. And I told the American people something
else, that we want peace, not war, and that I will do my level best
to bring you home without a single shot fired.
And let me say one other thing. The sacrifices you make will
never be forgotten. America is behind you. The world is behind you,
and history is behind you. When you come home, and we hope it's
soon, you'll be welcomed as what you are: all-American heroes.
Today at the White House and all across America, candles burn
in remembrance of you and all our troops across the country and
around the world. There is no way Americans can forget the
contribution you are making to world peace and to our country.
Whenever we see Old Glory snapping in the breeze, we think of you.
Whenever we hear the inspirational words of The Star Spangled
Banner, we think of you. And whenever we enjoy the boundless
opportunities of a free country, we think of you.
History may make men, but you are making history. I think of
Lieutenant Mary Danko, the flight nurse whoVOLunteered for Saudi
Arabia. Her husband, a C-130 navigator, was already flying in
support of Desert Shield. And when asked if leaving their baby with
relatives was a hard think to do, Mary said, "It's the right thing to
do. We're needed." And when asked, "now what about the kid?" Mary
explained, "We're doing it for the kid."
Well, she's right. Mary's right. She knows that when peace
and freedom triumph, it's not a triumph for one particular country
or one particular people, but a triumph for our children--a triumph
for all humankind.
And so it is with the holidays, for tonight the star of
Bethlehem and the candles of the Menorah will cast their light in
American outposts around the world with a timeless message of
hope and renewal that radiates to people of all faiths. Each of you
is precious. Each life is important because it touches so many other
lives. And while you may be out of America's sight, rest assured no
matter where you serve, you will never be out of America's heart.
Merry Christmas and happy holidays to you all. God keep you
and watch over you. And God bless America. (###)
US Department of State Dispatch,
Vol 1, No 18, December 31, 1990
Title: State Department Gulf Crisis Information
Date: Dec 31, 199012/31/90
Region: MidEast/North Africa
Country: Iraq, Kuwait
Subject: Military Affairs, Democratization
[TEXT]
Emergencies: 202-647-0900 (24 hours)
Questions or comments about the Administration's Persian Gulf
policy: 202-647-6575 or 6576, Monday-Friday, 8:30 am-5 pm
(Eastern Standard Time)(###)
US Department of State Dispatch,
Vol 1, No 18, December 31, 1990
Title: The Council of Europe
Date: Dec 31, 199012/31/90
Category: Fact Sheets
Region: Europe
Country: Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece,
Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal,
Spain, United Kingdom, Austria, Cyprus, Finland,
Hungary, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Malta, Norway,
San Marino, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Israel
Subject: International Organizations
[TEXT]
Background
The Council of Europe is the oldest of the European postwar
organizations. It was founded in 1949 to encourage greater
European unity and cooperation, pluralistic democracy, and human
rights. The location of its headquarters on the French-German
border in Strasbourg, France, symbolized postwar reconciliation.
The council includes the 12 members of the European Community
(Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy,
Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and the United Kingdom)
as well as Austria, Cyprus, Finland, Hungary, Iceland, Liechtenstein,
Malta, Norway, San Marino, Sweden, Switzerland, and Turkey. Israel
is an observer. The council is perhaps best known for its work in
developing a multilateral system of human rights safeguards and
for its contributions in harmonizing European laws and policies
with more than 140 intergovernmental conventions. As East and
Central European countries began to reestablish democratic
institutions in 1989 and to apply for membership, the council has
acquired an expanded role in Europe's political reintegration.
Hungary became a full member on November 6, 1990, the first
formerly communist state to meet the Council of Europe's
admission criteria of pluralist democracy and respect for human
rights and the rule of law.
Structure
The council includes the Committee of Ministers, the Parliamentary
Assembly, the European Commission of Human Rights, and the
European Court of Human Rights--all supported by a 900-member
secretariat. Each of the council's 24 member countries is
represented on the Committee of Ministers by a permanent
representative with the rank of ambassador. The committee meets
for 1 week each month and at least twice a year at the foreign
minister level to discuss matters of common concern to Western
Europe. Numerous committees of experts work to harmonize
European laws and regulations and to formulate European and
international conventions.
The Parliamentary Assembly, composed of 177 national
representatives selected by member-state legislatures, holds four
plenary sessions each year. The assembly has no major
decisionmaking power but is a significant voice within Europe on
matters such as East-West or Middle East issues. The Commission
of Human Rights and the Court of Human Rights serve as a
multilateral system to safeguard European civil and political rights.
Relations With the European Community
The growing authority during the 1980s of the European Community
(EC) over a wide range of economic, technical, and political matters
sparked concern about the possible division of Europe into
community and non-community states. In response, the Colombo
Commission, created in 1985, urged closer cooperation between the
EC and the council, reinforced council activities among its
members, and expanded contacts between the council and Eastern
Europe and between the council and the United States. In 1989, the
EC and the council began to hold regular "quadripartite" meetings
between the council's chair of the Committee of Ministers and the
secretary general and the presidents of the EC Council and
Commission. Working-level contacts between the EC and the
Council of Europe also have increased and are becoming frequent.
A joint statement issued at the October 1990 quadripartite
meeting in Venice gave the council the leading role in welcoming
East and Central European states back into the European family.
Leaders of the two organizations also pledged to explore ways to
bring council members who are not in the EC closer to European
political cooperation.
The council expanded its own activities on subjects such as
terrorism, narcotics, and the environment. In 1989, it opened for
signature a convention on cross-border broadcasting and, in 1990,
conventions on international bankruptcy and on the seizure of the
proceeds of crime. The council continues to be a principal European
forum for social, legal, health, and environmental affairs.
Relations With Eastern Europe and the USSR
In a policy declaration issued on its 40th anniversary, May 5, 1989,
the council underlined its role as a bridge between Eastern and
Western Europe as well as between EC members and non-members.
Soviet President Gorbachev addressed the council's Parliamentary
Assembly in July 1989. By the fall of 1990, the Soviet Union and all
East European countries except Romania and Albania had been
granted "special guest" status in the Parliamentary Assembly and
were being initiated step-by-step into selected intergovernmental
activities. Most of these countries expressed interest in full
membership. By policy and statute, council membership requires
pluralistic democracy and respect for human rights and the rule of
law. The council established a program, Project Demosthenes, for
preparing East European countries to meet its standards. Hungary
became the first Central European state to meet these criteria.
Poland has been invited to join as soon as it holds general elections.
Czechoslovakia's application will be debated by the Parliamentary
Assembly at the end of January 1991.
Activities Beyond Europe
The council's Parliamentary Assembly has taken an active role in
fostering the worldwide development of democracy. Together with
the European Parliament, the assembly sponsors major international
conferences on parliamentary democracy in Strasbourg, with the
next scheduled for 1991, and annual regional conferences such as
the one held in Costa Rica in 1989. The United States, Canada,
Australia, New Zealand, and Japan are active partners in organizing
this endeavor, which created the Strasbourg-based International
Institute for Democracy in 1989. As an offshoot of its North-South
campaign, the council established in 1990 a Lisbon-based center to
promote awareness of global interdependence.
The council has worked to strengthen its relations in the West
as well as the East and is open to closer cooperation with the
United States and Canada. On several occasions during 1990, the
council offered to make its resources and expertise available to the
Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) process,
particularly for activities related to the human dimension. In this
regard, the council has proposed that its Parliamentary Assembly
form the basis for a CSCE parliamentary body.
The United States participates actively in a wide range of
council activities, including legal, social, and health experts'
groups. It is a signatory to one council convention (on repatriation
of prisoners) and has participated in the development of others (use
of drugs in sports and seizure of the proceeds from crime).
A delegation from the assembly's Political Affairs Committee
visited Washington in March 1990. The council assembly invites US
Members of Congress to attend at least one plenary session each
year. The council seeks closer relations with the United States and
the other Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
countries that are not members.
Council of Europe Members
Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany,
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg,
Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom(###)
US Department of State Dispatch,
Vol 1, No 18, December 31, 1990
Title: Gist: Intellectual Property
Date: Dec 31, 199012/31/90
Category: Policy Briefs (Gist)
Subject: Trade/Economics, Science/Technology,
Media/Telecommunications
[TEXT]
Background
"Intellectual property" refers to:
1) industrial property, chiefly in patents for inventions,
trademarks, industrial designs, and trade secrets;
2) copyrights, primarily in literary, scientific, musical,
artistic, photographic, and cinematographic works and sound
recordings; and
3) computer software and the design of semi-conductor chips.
The protection of intellectual property rights stimulates
research, technological innovation, and the creative arts. The
current emphasis on international high-technology competition
highlights the fact that the protection of US intellectual property
rights worldwide is essential to our economic and commercial
competitiveness.
In the past decade, counterfeiting and "piracy" became
rampant, especially in some developing countries. Piracy refers to
the unauthorized copying of books, films, sound recordings,
computer software, and semi-conductor chips. Counterfeiting, once
limited to illegal copies of brand-name consumer goods, now occurs
in products like pharmaceuticals, agrichemicals, and even spare
parts for aircraft. Estimated losses to US rights-holders due to
worldwide counterfeiting and piracy of their products total billions
of dollars annually.
US Policy
In the Trade and Tariff Act of 1984, Congress linked the designation
of the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP--the granting of
tariff-free entry for certain developing country exports) to a
nation's record of protecting intellectual property rights. Congress
also made protection of intellectual property a factor in
designating beneficiaries of important US international economic
programs such as the Caribbean Basin Initiative. These linkages are
part of US policy. An April 1986 US government policy statement
outlined a comprehensive strategy to pursue vigorously the
strengthening of intellectual property protection.
Multilateral Actions
In September 1986, most major trading nations launched the
Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations under the General
Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). The United States seeks
the incorporation into the GATT of high standards for the protection
of intellectual property, effective enforcement of those standards,
and binding dispute settlement. The United States also is working
to strengthen existing intellectual property conventions and to
develop new agreements under the auspices of the World
Intellectual Property Organization, the secretariat for these
conventions. Developing new international standards for the
protection of high technology such as biotechnological innovations,
computer software, and semi-conductor chips are important
elements of this approach. The Berne Convention for the Protection
of Literary and Artistic Works, which the United States joined in
March 1989, significantly broadens the number of countries
protecting US copyrighted works.
Bilateral Actions
Since the mid-1980s, the United States has established bilateral
copyright relations with Singapore and Indonesia following their
enactment of modern copyright legislation. US copyrighted works
now are protected in Taiwan. South Korea passed a modern
copyright law and joined the Universal Copyright Convention.
Malaysia enacted new copyright legislation and is joining the Berne
Convention this year. Saudi Arabia and the People's Republic of
China also have enacted new legislation. Egypt and Taiwan are
currently in the process of enacting modern copyright laws. Korea,
Taiwan, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia have improved their
patent laws. Chile, Venezuela, and Mexico have drafted generally
modern patent laws which now are under consideration.
Domestic Legislation
The 1988 Trade Act eliminated the injury test (a specific level of
imports harmful to US industries) and expanded the definition of
domestic industry. This makes it easier for US firms to use Section
337 of the Tariff Act of 1930, the provision of US law that
authorizes the International Trade Commission to bar the import of
goods infringing US intellectual property rights. The 1988 Omnibus
Trade Act also allows process patent holders to prevent the import
of products produced by an infringing process.
US Policy Statement, April 1986
The United States provides strong protection for intellectual
property rights within our borders for domestic and foreign citizens
and businesses. The United States expects other nations to do the
same in order to achieve better protection for American
intellectual property rights. The US strategy includes:
-- Strengthening existing international and national standards
for protection and enforcement;
-- Extending existing standards, or developing new ones, to
cover frontier technologies;
-- Improving international standards to eliminate
discrimination or unreasonable exceptions or preconditions to
protection;
-- Encouraging our trading partners to commit themselves to
enacting and enforcing laws adequately recognizing intellectual
property rights and providing effective penalties for violations; and
-- Ensuring that US laws provide a high standard of
protection.(###)
US Department of State Dispatch,
Vol 1, No 18, December 31, 1990
Title: Gist: POW-MIAs in Southeast Asia
Date: Dec 31, 199012/31/90
Category: Policy Briefs (Gist)
Region: Southeast Asia
Country: Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, China
Subject: Human Rights, Military Affairs, POW/MIA Issues
[TEXT]
Background
Some 2,288 Americans remain missing or unaccounted for as a
result of the conflict in Southeast Asia. Unfortunately, many
missing Americans will never be recovered; more than 400
individuals were lost over water. Another 450 loss locations are
unknown. While accepting the statistical realities, the US also
recognizes that full cooperation from the governments concerned
could provide additional information on the fate of hundreds of
these missing Americans.
US Policy
Since the fall of Saigon in 1975, the US and Vietnam have not had
diplomatic relations, and the US has maintained its trade embargo
on Vietnam. This has been part of a regional strategy designed to
encourage Hanoi's cooperation in reaching a political settlement for
Cambodia and in resolving the POW/MIA [prisoner-of-war/missing-
in-action] issue and other humanitarian concerns. Normalization of
relations can occur only in the context of a Cambodia settlement;
the pace and scope of that process will be directly affected by
Vietnam's cooperation on POW-MIAs and on other humanitarian
issues of importance to the US.
As a matter of the highest national priority, President Bush
has committed the US to the return of anyone who might still be
held captive, obtaining the fullest possible accounting for those
still missing, and repatriating recoverable remains of those who
died serving our country.
In pursuance of this commitment, the US has kept the live
prisoner issue at the forefront of negotiations and intelligence
efforts. While we have thus far been unable to confirm that
Americans are still detained against their will, the information
available precludes ruling out that possibility.
Since the end of the war, the US has received 12,973 reports
relevant to the POW/MIA issue, most of them from Indochinese
refugees. Of that total, 1,477 are first-hand, live-sighting reports.
About 68% of these have been correlated with Americans who were
in Indochina but who have since returned to the US. Another 24% are
known or suspected fabrications. The remaining 8%, or a little more
than 100 of the live-sighting reports, are unresolved and under
continuing priority investigation. Should we determine that
Americans are still under detention, we will take every appropriate
action to ensure their return.
Ongoing US Efforts
Vietnam.
In his meeting on September 29, 1990,
with Vietnamese Foreign Minister Nguyen Co Thach, Secretary Baker
stressed the Administration's unwavering commitment to
resolution of the POW/MIA issue. He invited the Foreign Minister to
Washington for the express purpose of working out specific steps to
expedite the accounting for missing Americans.
At that meeting in Washington, Gen. John Vessey, Jr. (ret.), the
President's Special Emissary to Hanoi on POW/MIAs, proposed
specific steps to obtain more rapid results and to establish an
ongoing, viable program to achieve the fullest possible accounting
of American POW-MIAs:
-- Send a US technical team to Hanoi to plan improved joint
investigations;
-- Form a joint team of military experts and analysts to
search for historical documentation on POW-MIA incidents; and
-- Increase unilateral efforts by Vietnam to recover and
return the remains of US personnel.
Foreign Minister Thach accepted all of General Vessey's
proposals, and he announced that Vietnam and Laos had agreed to
tripartite cooperation with the US to investigate cases of
Americans who disappeared in areas of Laos where Vietnamese
forces operated during the war. It is our strong hope that the joint
agreement on these proposals will lead to a decision in Hanoi to
produce quick, decisive actions that will accelerate results.
In the last 2 years, 12 joint investigations have been
conducted in Vietnam, focusing on incidents where Americans were
last known to have been in the custody of Vietnamese forces or on
Americans about whom the Vietnamese would likely have
knowledge. Over the same period, several technical meetings have
been held to enhance joint efforts and to encourage Vietnam to
expand unilateral action to resolve cases. The increased level of
joint activities, however, did not produce a commensurate level of
results. The greatest progress occurred through Vietnam's
unilateral return of remains, and, even in this area, progress
dropped sharply in the past year. Then in August a joint
investigation showed signs of increased Vietnamese cooperation. In
the following month, 20 remains were repatriated for further
scientific analysis in Hawaii, and another 10 remains were
repatriated in
November.
Laos.
The Lao government has increased
cooperation on the POW/MIA issue in recent years. In 1989, Laos
agreed to conduct year-round activities and, in early 1990, to
expand cooperation further. We have conducted a series of 12 joint
surveys and 4 joint excavations of 6 aircraft crash sites in the past
year. We expect to conduct more activities in early 1991. Because
more than 80% of American losses in Laos occurred in areas where
Vietnamese forces were operating at the time, resolution of these
cases will also require cooperation from Vietnam.
Cambodia.
In July 1990, a US government
forensic team traveled to Cambodia to examine the first remains
made available by officials in Phnom Penh. The team repatriated
six of those remains for further scientific review still underway.
Americans Missing or Unaccounted For:
Vietnam 1,670
Laos 529
Cambodia 83
China (coastal waters) 6
TOTAL 2,288
Americans Accounted For Since 1973:
Vietnam 252
Laos 41
China 2
TOTAL 295
(###)
US Department of State Dispatch,
Vol 1, No 18, December 31, 1990
Title: Focus on Central and Eastern Europe: 12/31/90
Date: Dec 31, 199012/31/90
Category: Focus on Emerging Democracies
Region: Eurasia
Country: Bulgaria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia (former),
Germany, Poland
Subject: Trade/Economics, Science/Technology, NATO
[TEXT]
Citizens Democracy Corps: President Elected
The Executive Committee of the Citizens Democracy Corps elected
Lee Stull to be its president. Mr. Stull was in the Foreign Service
for 30 years and is the managing partner of RS International Ltd., an
international investment firm. For information about the
Democracy Corps, or to receive future mailings of its bulletin, call
800-321-1945 or, in Washington, DC, 202-872-0933.
Bulgaria
NATO Tour
. Four Bulgarian parliamentarians and a
foreign ministry official selected by the US Information Agency
(USIA) visited NATO head-quarters in Brussels the week of
November 19. It was the first such visit for Bulgarians and only the
second time that Warsaw Pact nationals had been given a NATO tour
(an East German group was the first). The NATO tour program, run
by USIA, seeks to acquaint European opinion leaders with the role
and continued importance of the Atlantic alliance. The Bulgarians
met NATO Secretary General Manfred Woerner and were briefed by
NATO political and military officials on NATO's place in post-Cold
War Europe.
Czechoslovakia
President Signs Resolution
On November 9, President Bush signed into law a congressional
resolution that grants nondiscriminatory tariff treatment to
products of the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic. Czechoslovakia
is the first East European country to receive most-favored-nation
(MFN) treatment for its exports to the United States since the
revolutions of 1989.
Granting MFN tariff treatment is a significant US step to bring
into force the US-Czechoslovakia trade agreement signed last April.
An exchange of diplomatic notes ratifying the trade agreement took
place during President Bush's visit to Prague on November 17.
These sharply lower tariffs will provide the impetus for greatly
expanded trade between the two countries and are a first step
toward normalization of bilateral trade relations.
The trade agreement also contains important guarantees for
US businesses engaging in trade with Czechoslovakia, including the
right to nondiscrimination in renting office space, in paying for
local goods, and in establishing bank accounts. Any hard currency
earnings from trade may be repatriated immediately. The
Czechoslovak government also has committed itself to upgrade
significantly its protection of intellectual property rights (e.g.,
patents, copyrights, trade secrets, and integrated-circuit-layout
designs) and to make its intellectual property regime comparable to
those of other industrialized countries.
US Assistance: General
-- Czechoslovakia will receive significant US government
assistance under the fiscal year 1991 Foreign Operations
Appropriations bill.
-- President Bush has announced that he will work with the
Congress to establish a $60-million fund to help reinvigorate
Czechoslovakia's private sector. Similar to the funds for Hungary
and Poland that have already been created, the new Czechoslovak-
American Fund would be a nonprofit endowment designed to promote
private enterprise in Czechoslovakia and would be funded on a
multiyear basis.
-- Czechoslovakia has provided a prioritized list of
assistance requests. Most were in the category of technical
assistance.
-- Technical assistance in the energy area will be a top
priority in US assistance, which will focus on energy conservation
and efficiency, clean-coal technology, and nuclear safety.
-- US technical assistance will also be directed to such areas
as privatization, management training, banking and financial
services, and housing.
-- US assistance also will support reform of the political
process, encouragement of cultural pluralism, and development of
independent media.
Energy Assistance
-- The Iraq-Kuwait crisis has exacerbated the fundamental
economic problems facing Czechoslovakia and other new
democracies of Central and Eastern Europe in their transition to a
market economy.
-- In response, the United States has asked the International
Monetary Fund to increase its lending to the region by as much as $5
billion, modifying its lending policies as appropriate, and the World
Bank to accelerate its assistance in the energy field, drawing on the
$9 billion now committed to, or planned for, Central and Eastern
Europe.
-- The United States also has offered to carry out short-term
energy projects in Czechoslovakia and in other countries in the
region to improve efficiency in industry and refineries. We will
cooperate with the European Community and the International
Energy Agency on these projects and on a regional energy program
coordinated by the International Bank for Reconstruction and
Development that would focus on longer-term energy efficiency
measures.
Trade and Investment
-- In addition to the US-Czechoslovak trade agreement
discussed above, the two countries are nearing completion of a
bilateral investment treaty that would promote increased US
private investment in Czechoslovakia.
-- Agreements permitting the Export-Import Bank and the
Overseas Private Investment Corporation to operate in
Czechoslovakia already have been completed.
-- The US government has begun the process of evaluating
Czechoslovakia's eligibility for the Generalized System of
Preferences (GSP) program. If Czechoslovakia meets the
requirements, GSP could be extended early in 1991.
-- The US Trade and Development Program will make
available more than $1.5 million in grants for projects covering
feasibility studies of the disposal of hazardous waste, upgrading of
coal-fired power plants, and the modernization and improvement of
safety and pollution control in the steel industry.
The Environment
-- A team of environmental experts from the US Agency for
International Development and the Environmental Protection Agency
is assisting the Czechoslovak government and the World Bank in a
joint environmental study. The study will recommend Czechoslovak
and foreign activities to improve environmental quality.
-- The US government, in cooperation with the private sector,
launched an initiative in September to address regional
environmental issues. Czechoslovakia will participate in this
program.
-- Czechoslovakia also participates in the regional
environmental center, headquartered in Budapest, that was an
initiative of President Bush in 1989.
Other Continuing US Initiatives
-- The US government supports a program of the International
Executive Service Corps to provide the expertise of retired senior
US managers to Czechoslovakian enterprises.
-- The Department of Justice and the Federal Trade
Commission have provided technical assistance in the areas of anti-
monopoly law and competition policy and have assisted in the
drafting of legislation. Those agencies are considering further
efforts in these areas.
-- The Department of Labor plans to offer assistance to
Czechoslovakia in labor/management-dispute resolution,
institution-building, and the development of a social safety net.
-- The US government is making available influenza vaccines
and the means of inoculation through nongovernmental organizations
such as Project Hope for the "at risk" portion of the
Czechoslovakian population this winter.
-- The Peace Corps will have about 60VOLunteers in
Czechoslovakia to train English teachers.
The International Monetary Fund
-- Czechoslovakia joined the IMF in September 1990.
-- The United States has urged the IMF to accelerate lending
to Czechoslovakia and other Central and East European countries.
-- The IMF assists the government of Czechoslovakia in
developing an economic program that could be supported by a 12-
month stand-by arrangement beginning in early 1991.
-- The IMF program will focus on economic liberalization,
supported by appropriate fiscal and monetary policies, and on
Czechoslovakia's transition to a market economy.
-- Like other IMF members, Czechoslovakia also stands to
benefit from the US initiative, now underway, to establish a means
for the IMF to respond quickly to countries' increased financing and
adjustment needs resulting from the situation in the Persian Gulf.
-- The IMF also continues to provide technical assistance to
Czechoslovakia in the fields of monetary management and economic
policy advice.
The World Bank
-- Czechoslovakia rejoined the World Bank in September
1990.
-- The United States has asked the bank to accelerate
assistance to Central and Eastern Europe, focusing on economic
restructuring, the development of the private sector, and energy
efficiency. The bank is rapidly expanding its presence in the region,
and its lending over the next 3 years may exceed $9 billion.
-- The bank is seeking a quick start to lending operations in
Czechoslovakia. It has sent several missions to the country to
review the overall economy and sectoral plans.
-- The bank is processing a structural adjustment loan that
could involve several hundred million dollars and should be ready
for bank board action after IMF approval of a stand-by arrangement
(possibly early 1991). This follows normal practice whereby the
bank's quick-disbursing adjustment loans are linked to stabilization
programs developed between borrower and the IMF. The loan is
intended to support Czechoslovakia's transition to a market-
oriented economy.
-- A technical assistance loan to help plan the reform effort
is tentatively scheduled for board consideration in March or April
1991.
-- The International Financial Corporation (IFC) is assisting
Czechoslovakia in designing a mutual-fund system to aid the
privatization effort. The IFC expects to have several operations
supportive of foreign and domestic private-sector joint venture
investments in Czechoslovakia. The IFC is opening a resident
representative office in Prague.
-- The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, which is
the bank's investment-insurance arm, also is targeting
Czechoslovakia for possible investment-insurance operations and
has received an application for a guarantee. Czechoslovakia also
has requested technical assistance in drafting its foreign
investment code and in designing its foreign investment promotion
agency.
English Teaching
"Education for Democracy USA" is a nonprofit organization that has
been sendingVOLunteers to Czechoslovakia to teach English. Begun a
year ago as a small, local operation based in the Alabama home of
Ms. Ann Gardner, the organization has grown exponentially since
receiving national press coverage earlier this year. The
organization has sent about 500 English teachers, including recent
university graduates, mid-career people, and retirees. It is
considering expanding into other Central and East European
countries. For additional information, call Ann Gardner or Ross
Phelps at 205-434-3889.
Germany
OPIC Mission Successful
.
The first mission of the Overseas Private
Investment Corporation (OPIC) to what formerly was the German
Democratic Republic was very successful. According to OPIC
President Fred Zeder, "The 15 US corporations participating [in the
October mission] were able to explore some of the most attractive
investment opportunities we have yet to see in the former
communist bloc."
The participants met German officials from the Ministry of
Economics and the Treuhandanstalt, the bureau charged with
overseeing the privatization of the more than 8,000 companies in
eastern Germany. The participants also were able to investigate
specific opportunities in construction, aerospace manufacturing,
environmental management and pollution clean-up, financial
services, medical and health services, and entertainment.
Zeder also noted the structural difficulties facing the
Germans in their enormous task of privatizing and restructuring the
former East German economy. "There are a lot of unresolved issues
and the privatization process is still in flux. If US companies wait
until all of these problems are sorted before they begin looking at
projects, many of the most appealing opportunities will be snatched
up. Now is the time to lay down your marker," said Zeder.
OPIC's mission participants included senior representatives
from Hughes Aircraft, United Technologies, Fisher Controls,
Westinghouse Electric, Pittsburg Corning Corp., J.P. Morgan, Smith
Barney, American Multi-Cinema, Inc., Gray Construction Co.,
Northwest Enviroservice Inc., Professional Medical Products, Inc.,
Brown ∧ Root, Inc., and the law firms Wilmer, Cutler ∧ Pickering,
and Hogan ∧ Hartson.
By providing investment information, financing, and a unique
set of risk assurances, OPIC facilitates US private investment in
119 economies around the world. For more information, call OPIC's
John Hereford at 202-457-8210.
Poland
Supreme Court Justices Visit US.
Three Polish Supreme Court justices, including the chief justice,
visited the United States in November under the auspices of the
international visitor program of the US Information Agency (USIA).
Their schedule was designed to give them an understanding of the
US legal system, including the jurisdiction of state and federal
courts, and legal education. They also met with US jurists working
in the criminal and civil rights fields.
Business-Higher Education Forum Visit
The Business-Higher Education Forum's Coalition for Democracy and
Enterprise sent a 12-member delegation to Poland for a November
27-29 roundtable and workshop. Lee Stull, president of the Citizens
Democracy Corps, accompanied the delegation as a special guest.
The purpose of the trip was to learn what kinds of technical
assistance would be most valuable to Poland. Topics discussed
included privatization, small business development, employee-
employer relationships, quality control, and sociological and legal
conditions of Polish companies. For additional information, call Don
Blandin, Director, Business-Higher Education Forum at 202-939-
9345.
Congressional Interns
On November 8, personnel in USIA's Youth Programs Division
conducted the final debriefing and evaluation of 10 Central and East
European political leaders who participated in the 7-week
"Congressional Interns" young leaders project. The 10 participants
spoke highly of their experiences, which included writing press
releases, campaigning with Members of Congress, responding to
constituent requests, and working on legislative issues.
ABA Law Workshops
The American Bar Association (ABA) has responded to the
immediate legal priorities of the new democracies in Central and
Eastern Europe and to the common concerns of that region by
creating the Central and East European Law Initiative (CEELI). The
ABA hopes that CEELI will foster a commitment to an economic and
political culture based on the rule of law.
CEELI conducted its first regional technical-assistance
workshop in Prague, Czechoslovakia, November 12-17, focusing on
criminal law revision. The elements and structure of the workshop
were shaped by consultations with senior government officials,
legal scholars, and practitioners in Central and Eastern Europe.
Nine Americans, four West Europeans, and representatives from
Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Yugoslavia
participated.
The four topics of the workshop were:
-- The role of the state's attorney in a democratic society.
-- A comparison of the nature and conduct of preliminary
proceedings in continental and American law.
-- The role of lay judges and juries.
-- What types of speech should be forbidden by the penal
law?
The intended result of the workshop was to stimulate a
greater understanding of the tenets necessary to create an
internationally accepted criminal justice system, particularly
identifying specific provisions of criminal codes that are
inconsistent with instituting a new system. Another important
outcome was the publication and distribution of a workshop report
summarizing the discussions and recommendations. That report
will serve as a basis for organizing follow-up consultations in
Central and Eastern Europe.
Similar workshops are planned for this winter on the
independence of the judiciary (to be held in Yugoslavia February 4-
8) and constitutional reform (to be held in Bulgaria February 17-
21).
CEELI also has arranged for two US constitutional experts to
help the Constitutional Drafting Committee of the Romanian
parliament. Justice Ben F. Overton of the Florida Supreme Court and
Jerome A. Barron, former dean and current professor of law at
George Washington University, went to Romania November 19-23
and will continue to help in this on-going project.
CEELI is supported in part by a $400,000 grant from the US
Agency for International Development through the National
Endowment for Democracy. CEELI recently was awarded a $50,000
grant from the International Academy of Trial Lawyers Foundation
for technical assistance workshops. The academy also provided
funds for a lawyer-exchange program, which will be administered
by the ABA's Section on Individual Rights and Responsibilities. The
first exchange attorneys are scheduled to arrive from
Czechoslovakia in early 1991.
For copies of the workshop report mentioned above or for
additional information about CEELI, contact Mark Ellis, Executive
Director, The Central and East European Law Initiative, American
Bar Association, 1800 M Street, NW, Suite 450, Washington, DC
20036. Telephone: 202-331-2619. Fax: 202-457-1163.
USIA TV Inaugurates Special Service
On December 3, USIA TV launched a new 2-hour special feed to
Central and East European broadcasters. Initial recipients of the 5-
day-a-week service will include stations in Czechoslovakia,
Hungary, and Romania, which have received satellite antennas
donated by USIA. Polish TV also may carry the programs.
Thanks to special arrangements with ABC News, Time-Warner,
and Nickelodeon, the service will feature segments from programs
such as "This Week With David Brinkley," "Business World," "20/20,"
and "Nightline," plus news and documentaries on US history, culture
and society, the environment, economics, science, and the English
language from both private-sector and USIA TV productions.
(###)
US Department of State Dispatch,
Vol 1, No 18, December 31, 1990
Title: Feature: Foreign Policy Goes On-Line; Computer News
Service Begins in 1991
Date: Dec 31, 199012/31/90
Category: Features
Region: North America
Subject: State Department, Media/Telecommunications
[TEXT]
The Department of State is putting foreign policy information "on-
line" by following the successful launch of its new weekly
magazine, the US Department of State Dispatch, with a
computerized news and information service.
Dispatch, the flagship of the Department's Bureau of Public
Affairs streamlined publication program, offers major speeches
and congressional testimony by senior US officials, foreign policy
summaries, chronologies, country profiles, fact sheets, feature
articles, and updates on events around the world, including public
and private sector assistance to Eastern and Central Europe and
events in the Gulf. In addition, the magazine regularly publishes
current Current Treaty Actions and is indexed every 6 months.
Information Access Expanded
An electronic version of Dispatch, plus the official transcript of the
daily press briefing, travel advisories, and other key foreign policy
information, will go "on-line" when the Department joins the
federal Computer Information Delivery Service (CIDS) in February
1991.
Accessed by computer modem through commercial vendors,
CIDS will complement the department's traditional methods of
printing and distributing information. Anyone wanting current
information soon after it is released by the department may
subscribe to CIDS, although most expected users will be electronic
information and database services that further distribute foreign
policy information to their customers.
"The demand for immediate access to current and accurate
foreign policy information has grown dramatically," explains
Anthony A. Das, Director of the Office of Public Communication. "Our
objective is to provide foreign policy information in greaterVOLume
and faster than ever before. "
User Benefits
Expected users of State Department information on CIDS--
commercial electronic and videotex services, publishers, news
services, libraries, and the international business and legal
communities--also will have access to time-sensitive information
released by the US Department of Agriculture, which developed the
system in 1985. The system is available:
-- Monday-Fridays: 6 am-4 am [all times are Eastern Standard
Time],
-- Saturdays, 6 am-midnight,
-- Sundays, 7 am-2 am
"With advances in technology such that cost-effective
computer-based systems and communications are within the reach
of the average American, we no longer can rely only on traditional
means to disseminate department information," said Mr. Das. "This
is especially true during the current period of great fiscal restraint
and shifting world events."
Those who use the CIDS service will pay for the direct cost of
accessing the information from the computer-based system
provided under contract by the Martin Marietta Corporation, which
maintains the information exactly as defined and transmitted by the
State Department.
The minimum commercial rate for the basic CIDS service will
be $75 a month, a fee used to offset actual telecommunications
charges. Users can review the data on-line or establish profiles for
downloading the information at medium to high computer
transmission speeds. Government users of CIDS do not pay the
monthly minimum and receive discounts for use.
Dispatch and other Department printed publications continue
to be available at federal depository libraries, as well as at many
other educational and public libraries nationwide.
Available on CIDS:
-- Official Press Briefing transcript
-- Full text of US Department of State Dispatch, the new
weekly record of US foreign policy
-- Major speeches and congressional testimony by senior
officials
-- Travel advisories
-- Foreign policy summaries and updates on world events
-- Chronologies, Fact Sheets, and Country Profiles
-- Full text of Background Notes, which profile countries and
international organizations
-- Current Treaty Actions
Subscription Information:
Computer Information Delivery Service (CIDS)--To receive a
CIDS information packet, call the CIDS Message Center at 703-802-
5700.
Dispatch Magazine-- Paid subscriptions to The US Department
of State Dispatch are available as follows:
-- For 1st and 3rd-Class Delivery: Superintendent of
Documents (telephone: 202-783-3238; fax: 202-275-0019), US
Government Printing Office.
-- For 1st and Overnight Delivery: National Technical
Information Service (telephone: 703-487-4630), US Department of
Commerce.
--Deborah Guido-O'Grady, Dispatch Staff(###)
US Department of State Dispatch,
Vol 1, No 18, December 31, 1990
Title: State Department Publication Program Streamlined
Date: Dec 31, 199012/31/90
Category: Features
Region: North America
Subject: State Department, EC
[TEXT]
The US Department of State has streamlined its publications
program as part of the Administration's commitment to cut
spending. In order to maintain services to the public during this
period of great fiscal restraint, the Department's Bureau of Public
Affairs has adopted desktop publishing and electronic distribution
technologies to ensure that information on US foreign policy is
available to those who need it. Even with modern technology, we
have found it necessary to distribute our information in a more
focused fashion.
New Weekly Magazine
The Department's new weekly paid subscription magazine, the US
Department of State Dispatch, is the most comprehensive source of
official information on US foreign policy. Dispatch provides a
diverse compilation of speeches, congressional testimony, fact
sheets, Gists, country profiles, treaty actions, and more--and is
indexed every 6 months.
Dispatch is available only by paid subscription via first- and
third-class delivery from the Superintendent of Documents, or via
first-class and overnight delivery from the National Technical
Information Service (see order form inside back cover). In February
1991, Dispatch, Gists, Background Notes, and other information will
be available through electronic distribution as well see p. 373).
Appearing in Dispatch
Most of the Bureau's publications are now available only in Dispatch.
-- Focus on Central and Eastern Europe: Already a regular
Dispatch feature, Focus will be phased out as a separate publication
by March 1991.
-- Current Policy: Eliminated. Major foreign policy speeches
by the President, Vice President, the Secretary of State, and senior
State Department officials are published in Dispatch.
-- Update from State: Eliminated. Feature material
formerly carried in Update is now included in Dispatch.
-- Selected State Department Publications: Eliminated. All
Bureau of Public Affairs publications now appear in Dispatch, which
is indexed. A catalog of government publications is available from
the Superintendent of Documents, US Government Printing Office.
Continuing Series
-- Gist: Available in Dispatch and, until 1992, distributed as
a free publication to libraries, academic and research
organizations; federal, state, and local governments; media, public-
policy organizations; etc.
-- Background Notes: Continues as a paid subscription sales
item. Annual subscriptions to the series--about 60 Notes--are
available from the Superintendent of Documents, Government
Printing Office, for $18. Individual copies are priced at $1.
Complete sets of about 190 Notes are available for $58.
-- NATO Review: Continues as a separate free publication.
Published by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the bimonthly
magazine will continue to be distributed in the continental United
States by the Department of State. If you reside outside the
continental United States and want to receive the magazine, please
request copies directly from the Editor, NATO Review, NATO
Information Service, 1110 Brussels, Belgium.
Mailing List
Our mailing list is being phased out, therefore new applications
will not be accepted. In order to receive information from the
Department, you must either subscribe to Dispatch or Background
Notes--or review them at a library or academic institution.
Electronic Service in 1991
In February 1991, full texts of Dispatch, transcripts of the daily
press briefing, major speeches and congressional testimony, and
other foreign policy information will be available by paid
subscription in electronic form as well. To learn more about
State's new Computer Information Delivery Service (CIDS), a federal
news and information service, call the CIDS Message Center at
703-802-5700.(###)