International Affairs Committee Considers Export Finance, U.S. Korea Trade Agreement, U.S-European Mayors Cooperation, World Free of Nuclear Weapons
By Kay Scrimger
January 31, 2011
The International Affairs Committee met January 20, led by International Affairs Committee Chair Bowling Green (KY) Mayor Elaine N. Walker. She welcomed the members to the meeting and recognized immediate past Committee Chair Doral (FL) Mayor Juan Carlos Bermudez and Committee Vice Chair Alexandria (VA) Mayor William D. "Bill" Euille. She and the committee members also especially welcomed new mayors to the session.
U.S. Export-Import Bank President Hochberg, Chairman
The first speaker was one of the Obama Administration's highest-ranking business leaders — Fred P. Hochberg, Chairman and President of the Export-Import Bank of the United States, a key-financing instrument for U.S. exports.
The Chairman plays an essential role in the Administration's National Export Initiative (NEI), aimed at doubling U.S. exports in five years. The initiative would also create two million American jobs.
Under Hochberg's leadership, the Export-Import Bank reported a second consecutive record-breaking year in 2010, including $24.5 billion in export financing. All mayors are "business people in one way or another," Hochberg said, "because of their important role in managing the city's operations and in ensuring that their local businesses are well positioned to sell their products and services in the U.S. and abroad."
"We want to make sure that no small business is left behind," he said of Ex-Im's "Small Business Global Access Program." Hochberg urged mayors to explore further the financing Ex-Im can provide for small as well as for medium and large businesses in their cities seeking to export products and services abroad.
(More information is available online at www.exim.gov)
Committee of the Regions: European Union's Assembly of Mayors, Regional Leaders of 27 Nations
President Mercedes Bresso leads the European Union's Committee of the Regions (CoR), an assembly of mayors and regional officials from across the EU's 27 nations.
The local and regional leaders of the committee differ in a number of ways, including the social and economic makeup of their cities and countries, their people, culture, language, political system, political parties, history, geography, and a host of other variables.
To achieve unity amid such diversity is satisfying but also a challenge, Bresso noted. "And keep in mind that the European Union itself is relatively young, only about two decades old," she said.
Bresso emphasized the importance of trans-Atlantic cooperation. "The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed in October 2010 between CoR and the Conference of Mayors will result in greater cooperation between European and U.S. mayors on climate protection and sharing of best practices," she said. (More information is available online at www.cor.europa.eu)
Office of U.S. Trade Representative: Initiatives
Myesha Ward is Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Ambassador Ron Kirk, Executive Office of the President.
Ward gave the committee an overview of key USTR initiatives, including the National Export Initiative (NEI) in which USTR is key, and the recently concluded successful negotiations of the U.S. Korea Trade Agreement, which will "provide jobs and grow American businesses and the American economy." This sets the stage for Congressional consideration of the agreement in coming months.
The U.S.-Korea trade agreement demonstrates the Administration's advancement of free and fair trade and complements the U.S. goal of expanding American business opportunities in Asia through such initiatives as the Trans Pacific Partnership and in other parts of the world, she said. (More information is available online at www.ustr.gov)
Mayors for Peace: International Mayoral Network for Elimination of Nuclear Weapons
Mayors for Peace International Campaign Manager for the 2020 Vision Campaign Aaron Tovish described his organization's efforts over the years to reduce and eliminate nuclear weapons by the year 2020.
As he said, "Atomic weapons were developed to destroy cities," and "this is why we seek a nuclear-weapon-free world by 2020."
Mayors for Peace has 4,469 members worldwide and a goal of soon achieving 5,000. In the U.S. 165 cities are members. The U.S. Conference of Mayors has strong policy supporting the elimination of nuclear weapons. (More information is available online at www.2020visioncampaign.org)
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