DAY ONE: 29 JUNE 2005
          FREE TRADE CONFERENCE
  08:30            Registration

  09:00            OPENING CEREMONY

  09:15         Panel 1 : TUNISIAN AMERICAN TRADE : HISTORU AND PROSPECTS
Moderator: Mr. Ezzeddine Saidane, ABC Consulting, Vice President of TACC and Chairman of the Free Trade Conference Organizing Committee
Prof. David Mednicoff, University of Massachussetts: Globalization of Commercial Law: Perspectives Relative to Tunisian American Economic Relations
Chris Di Oliviera, Oxford Business Group: Tunisia’s Macroeconomic Environment, Its Association with Europe and Prospects for Sustained Liberalization
Abdelhafidh Chaibi, TACC: The TACC Membership Free Trade Survey
  10:00         Panel 2 : MAGHREB AMERICAN TRADE:
Moderator: Larry Dewitt, President, Am Cham Morocco
Julie Egan, University of Columbia: US Trade with the Maghreb, A Literature Survey
Pr. Sidi Mohamed RIGAR, Université Cadi Ayyad, Morocco : The Maghreb, the US and Europe : A Free Trade Perspective
Daniel Egel, Berkley: Assessing the Impact of Free Trade on Investment and Trade Performance
Chris Di Oliviera: Tunisia and Morocco, An Independent Assessment of What is Different .
  10:30             COFFEE BREAK
  10:45          Panel 3: US TRADE WITH THE REGION
 
Moderator: Prof. Mohamed Lahoual, University of Tunis (to be confirmed)
Elias Ghantous, Secretary General of the Arab Chamber of Commerce Union: The Arab Free Trade Zone and Recent American Initiatives
Mr. Ahmed Tantach, Chairman, AmCham Jordan: The Jordanian Experience
Mr. Khaled Sewelam, Manager, Business Studies Department, American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt: The Cas eof Egypt and Qualified Free Trade Zones (QUIZ)
 

  13:00 Luncheon

Lunch will take place By the Swimming Pool (First Floor). In case the weather is rainy lunch will be served at Salle PANORAMA
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  14:30           Panel 4:THE US APPROACH TO FREE TRADE
Moderator: Elizabeth Hopkins, US Embassy,
Lori Brock, Associate, Booz Allen & Hamilton (To be Confirmed)
USTR Representative (To be determined),
Gonzalo Escribano, UNED, Madrid, Spain
  15:30           Panel 5: IMPACT ON THE SERVICES SECTOR:
Moderator: Mr. Marouane Abbassi, IHEC
Mondher Khanfir & Kley Visentin, Strategy Consultants, MKC : Innovation and Liberalisation of
Services in Tunisia, Mr. Charles Grant, Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of the Nashville Business Incubator Center
Day Two : June 30, 2005                                   Conference Workshops 9 :00 – 12 :00

DOING BUSINESS IN LIBYA (Coordinated by Ms. Chafika Chamas, CCM Consulting)
His Excellency Ahmed Mokhtar Elnagassa, Libyan Ambassodor in Tunis (Invited)
Mr. Giuma Mabrouk WAHEBA, CEO NAIB Bank
Mr Rejeb Chaglebou, General Manager, Agency of Foreign Investment Promotion in Jamahiriya Libyan Republic
Zouhair Ali Bettamr, President of Libyan Association for Investors
President of Tunisian Libyan Chamber,
Mr Maher Kallel, Partner, Managing Director, Poulina Group, Mr Lotfi Abdennadher, CEO, Abdennadher Group, Mr Mlayah, CEO, SCI

OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE TEXTILES SECTOR ON THE US MARKET (Coordinated by Mr. Nazeh Ben Ammar, MAMI)
His Excellency Afif Chelbi, Minister of Industry (Invited)
Mr. John Blair, Business Consultant, Outsource & Offshore: The Tunisian Environment Today
Mr. Nazeh Ben Ammar, Vice President, MAMI, What can Tunisia sell in the US market? :
Mr. Kamel Zarrad: General Manager, SARTEX (to be confirmed) Challenges facing the Tunisian product in the US

AGRICULTURE/AGRO ALIMENTAIRE (Coordinated by Ms. Rym Bedoui, Agora International)
Mr. Moncef Dakhli, PDG, Banque Nationale Agricole (To be confirmed)
Mr Abdelkarim Sma, USDA, Snapshot of Agriculture and Food Exchanges Between Tunisia and the USA
Ms. Rym Bedoui, Agora International: Challenges and Opportunities of Trade and Investment Operations
Testimonies: Karim Gahbiche (Cerealis), Mohamed Nejib Souid (Best Brands)

TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (Coordinated by Mr. M’hamed Bouaoune)
Ms. Khedija Gheriani (to be confirmed)
Mr. Mondher Ben Ayed (to be Confirmed): WISIS: The Opportunity to maximize Tunisian American Partnerships
Mr. Marouane Abassi, Mr Mike Tejtel (CLDP): Tunisian American Collaboration: What Worked and What Didn’t
Mr. Sami Achour, GENSYM, (to be confirmed): Outsourcing, Subcontracting, or Creators of Technology
Mr. Mahmoud Triki, Southern Mediterranean University: The Role of Higher Education
Open Source Software

  13:00            Luncheon Workshop Coordinators to Report to the General Audience
  15:00            Maghreb American Chambers Conference
  17:00            TACC General Assembly
Site web TACC: http://www.tacc.org.tn
 
ed (English↔Arabic)

Coordinated by: Ms. Chafika Chamas, CCM Consulting Group

Chairman: Mr. Giuma Mabrouk WAHEBA –CEO NAIB Bank

Theme:  "The workshop intends to highlight business opportunities and promote inter-Maghreb partnerships and triangular partnerships with the USA"

Mr Rejeb Chaglebou, General Manager -Agency of Foreign Investment Promotion in Jamahiriya Libyan Republic,

Mr. Zouhair Ali Bettamr, President of Libyan Association for Investors, President of Tunisian Libyan Chamber, Business Charge, Commercial Section Libyan Embassy in Tunisia,

Mr Maher Kallel, Partner, Managing Director, Poulina Group,

Mr Lotfi Abdennadher, CEO, Abdennadher Group,

Mr. Taoufik Mlayah, President, SCI (Société de Commerce International de Tunisie)

Simultaneous Translation Guaranteed (English↔French

Coordinated by: Mr. Nazeh Ben Ammar, MAMI  

Theme: "How will the Tunisian textiles industry benefit from a free trade agreement with the USA? Will the sector get transformed by the time an agreement is negotiated? How did the Jordanian and Moroccan textiles sectors benefit".

His Excellency Afif Chelbi, Minister of Industry (to be confirmed), “The Tunisian Environment”: Mr. John Blair, Business Consultant Outsource & Offshore, “What can Tunisia sell in the US market?”

Mr. Nazeh Ben Ammar, Vice President, MAMI; “Challenges facing the Tunisian product in the US market”  

Mr. Mounir Zarrad, Administrative Manager, SARTEX; Regional Case Studies by

Mr Rasim Abderrahim, International Trade Advisor, AmCham Jordan: “The Jordanian Experience” (to be determined);

Mr Carl Dawson, Executive Director, AmCham Morocco: “The Moroccan experience” (to be determined)

Simultaneous Translation Guaranteed (English↔French

Coordinated by: Ms. Rym Bedoui, Agora International

Theme: Status of Tunisian American trade exchanges in the Agriculture and Food sectors and prospects after free trade

Ms Salma Rekik, COFAT; 

Mr. Abdelkarim Sma, USDA Tunisie: “Snapshot of agriculture and food exchanges between Tunisia and the USA” ;

Ms Rym Bedoui, Agora International : “Challenges and opportunities of trade and investments operations”;

Mr Michael Fay, Regional Director of USDA: “Negotiating Agriculture in an FTA”;  

Testimonies and Recommendations: Speakers from both Tunisia and US to debate on opportunities and present success stories

Coordinated by: M’hamed Bouaoune

Theme: Tunisian American Partnership in the IT sector

Opening by Mr. Mondher Ben Ayed, CEO of TMI and Coordinator of the SMSI Private Sector

Ms. Marsha Lance, Affaires Commerciales, Scientifiques et Technologiques, US Embassy; Mr. Robert S. Senseney, Senior Advisor Officer of Science and Technology Cooperation Department of State;“Opportunities of Cooperation”;

Mr. Samy Achour, VP EMA, GENSYM : "Outsourcing, Technology & Creation" 

Mr. Khaled Ben Jilani, Senior Manager, “Financing Mechanisms and Investment Opportunities”, IT, Tuninvest: “Investment Opportunities and Financing Mechanisms”;

Mr.Azzam Sheweihat Chairman, American Chamber of Commerce in Jordan and DG, NCR, Jordan: The Jordanian Experience, results of FTA on IT Sector; - Parc Technologique de Sfax “A Tunisian USAID cooperation project”; - Enterprises and Projects in the IT sector; E-MEA Initiative (Electronic Middle East & Africa Initiative)

Simultaneous Translation will be assured (English / French)

  13:00     Luncheon Workshop Coordinators to Report to the General Audience

  15:00     Maghreb American Chambers Conference

           AGENDA: 1) Welcome by Moncef Barouni : Chairman of TACC,

           2) Azzam Sheweihat, Chairman, AmCham Jordan and Carl Dawson,  

           Executive Director, Amcham Morocco: THE ARAB UNION OF US

           CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE: Role and Ambitions

          3) Gene R. Harris, Senior Advisor/Senior Commercial Officer, U.S.

          Commercial Liaison Office at the African Development Bank (AfDB):

           Business Opportunities for US Companies through AfBD Procurement

  17:00     TACC General Assembly

 

              Agenda : 1) Opening, 2) Activities Report, 3) Financial and Auditor Report       

         Presentations, 4) Election of the TACC Board of Directors.

 

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Site web TACC: http://www.tacc.org.tn