June 1, 2000: CCA and BP Amoco Host High Level Doing Business in Algeria Conference

On May 19, the Corporate Council on Africa and BP Amoco hosted the first ever Trade and Investment Conference on Algeria. The forum, entitled Doing Business in Africa: Investment in Algeria, presented the wide ranging investment opportunities that currently exist in Algeria, and outlined Algeria's roadmap towards privatization and economic reform. The conference opened with addresses by Algerian Minister of Privatization Hamid Temmar and Minister of Energy Chakib Khelil. It was followed by three informative panels and a private luncheon for participants. Over 100 American companies attended the conference. 

The first panel, Algeria: A Country Profile for Investment, moderated by Lucent Technologies, provided an introduction to Algerian culture, an overview of the macroeconomic environment, and prospects for investment in key economic sectors. Included in the panel was a presentation by Christian Delvoie, the World Bank's North Africa region director.

Panel two, Financing Options: How to Finance Your Projects in Algeria, moderated by the Washington-based law firm Arent Fox Kintner Plotkin & Kahn, provided an overview of trade and investment financing options available to American companies operating in Algeria. It included presentations by representatives from the Arab Banking Corporation, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) and the International Finance Corporation.

The final panel, moderated by Halliburton Company, gave an overview of doing business in Algeria by representatives of American companies operating in the country. Panelists included Managing Director of Salomon Smith Barney Jeffrey Shafer and representatives from BP Amoco, Anadarko Petroleum and Adam and Associates International.

The Investment Forum concluded with a private luncheon that featured speeches by Minister Temmar and Joseph Grandmaison, Director of the U.S. Trade and Development Agency.

The Corporate Council on Africa will lead a Trade and Outreach Mission to Algeria, June 12-19, 2000. Sponsors of the Mission include BP Amoco and Northrop Grumman.