DIRECTOR ASKEY ANNOUNCES REORGANIZATION OF USTDA REGIONS

ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA – (September 10, 2004) Today, U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) Director Thelma J. Askey announced plans to reorganize the agency’s regional structure.  Effective October 1st, USTDA program activity will be organized under five restructured regions:  Asia; the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia; Sub-Saharan Africa; Europe and Eurasia; and Latin America and the Caribbean. 

“This reorganization, the first since the early 1990s, presents an exciting opportunity for us to make our results-oriented program even more effective,” said Director Askey in making the announcement.  “It builds on USTDA’s successful history of adapting to meet new challenges and will strengthen the overall impact of USTDA’s global program.”  

The reorganization has three primary features.  First is the newly created region comprised of the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia, which will establish a focal point for emerging priorities in this region.  Second, the agency will combine the agency’s existing Europe and Eurasia regions to better coordinate economic development activities in those parts of the world.  Finally, the restructuring will result in increased resources for activities in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly those related to the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act. 

In Asia, the reorganization will allow greater attention to development needs in China and Southeast Asia, where opportunities for U.S. private sector participation are significant.  USTDA’s Latin America and the Caribbean region will remain as it is currently structured, but with renewed emphasis on trade capacity building activities throughout the region.   

“As we look to the future, USTDA will continue to evolve and modify its internal structure in response to a changing world,” stated Director Askey.  “Our goal is to enhance the way our many partners interact with the agency and to expand our coordination with other U.S. Government agencies.  At the same time, we will maintain the same high level of support for U.S. commercial involvement in overseas projects.”

The new regional structure will replace USTDA’s existing configuration.  Currently, USTDA’s five regions are:  Asia; Africa and the Middle East; Central and Eastern Europe; Eurasia; and Latin America and the Caribbean.

The U.S. Trade and Development Agency advances economic development and U.S. commercial interests in developing and middle-income countries.  The agency funds various forms of technical assistance, feasibility studies, training, orientation visits and business workshops that support the development of a modern infrastructure and a fair and open trading environment.  USTDA’s strategic use of foreign assistance funds to support sound investment policy and decision-making in host countries creates an enabling environment for trade, investment and sustainable economic development.  In carrying out its mission, USTDA gives emphasis to economic sectors that may benefit from U.S. exports of goods and services.