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DE RUEHBU #2792/01 3541435
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R 201435Z DEC 06
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UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 002792 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E FOR THOMAS PIERCE, WHA FOR WHA/BSC AND WHA/EPSC 
PASS NSC FOR JOSE CARDENAS 
PASS FED BOARD OF GOVERNORS FOR PATRICE ROBITAILLE 
EX-IM BANK FOR MICHELE WILKINS 
OPIC FOR GEORGE SCHULTZ AND RUTH ANN NICASTRI 
PASS USTR FOR SUE CRONIN AND MARY SULLIVAN 
TREASURY FOR ALICE FAIBISHENKO 
USDOC FOR 4322/ITA/MAC/OLAC/PEACHER 
US SOUTHCOM FOR POLAD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON KTEX AR
SUBJECT:  Ambassador Wayne Meets with President of OAS Private 
Sector of the Americas Group, Discusses 2007 Americas 
Competitiveness Forum 
 
¶1. Summary:  On December 12, Ambassador Anthony Wayne met 
with the President of the OAS Private Sector of the 
Americas (PAS) group and a delegation of PAS members from 
Argentina.  They spoke about their desire to reinvigorate a 
trade dialogue and to foster corporate social 
responsibility.  PAS members also expressed a strong 
interest in supporting the Americas Competitiveness Forum 
and Ministerial that Secretary of Commerce Gutierrez will 
host in June 2007 in Atlanta, as well as helping to 
strengthen U.S.-Argentina bilateral relations.  End 
Summary. 
 
¶2. On December 12, Ambassador Anthony Wayne, accompanied 
by SCO Brian Brisson and Senior Commercial Specialist 
Eugenio Pallares, participated in a luncheon hosted by 
Ernesto Gutierrez, the first and current President of the 
OAS Private Sector of the Americas (PAS) Group that was 
officially sanctioned by OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel 
Insulza in April 2006.  Other attendees included Julio 
Werthein, Treasurer of PAS and President of the Inter- 
American Trade and Production Council, Juan Bruchou, 
President of AMCHAM, Hector Mendez, President of the 
Argentine Industrial Union, Carlos de la Vega, President of 
the Argentine Chamber of Commerce, Enrique Mantilla, 
President of the Exporters Chamber, and Jorge Brito, 
President of the Bankers Association. 
 
¶3. The PAS is made up of business leaders in all of the 
countries of the Western Hemisphere.  It grew out of the 
OASGA hosted by the USG in Fort Lauderdale in June 2005. 
The Argentine private sector participated actively in the 
business meetings organized by USDOC prior to the OASGA and 
agreed to organize the Private Sector Forum in Buenos Aires 
immediately prior to the IV Summit of the Americas. The 
business forum, in which Secretary of Commerce Carlos 
Gutierrez participated, was very well attended and 
demonstrated the important role the private sector can and 
should play as an advisor and ally to WH governments 
seeking to fortify democracy, alleviate poverty, generate 
jobs and increase regional competitiveness.  The PSA 
President and Treasurer are both Argentine, and the 
Argentine chapter has played a pivotal role in the 
organization of PSA activities, including the Private 
Sector Forum held during the OASGA in the Dominican 
Republic earlier this year. 
 
¶4. Trade and Soft Diplomacy: The Argentine PSA members 
that participated in the December 12 luncheon expressed a 
strong commitment to doing what they can to promote better 
relations with the United States.  Both the Presidents of 
the Argentine Chamber of Commerce and Argentine Industrial 
Union (Chamber of Industry) said they wanted to help re- 
establish the free trade dialogue between the United States 
and Argentina.  The President of the Chamber of Exporters 
 
 
 
 
 
 
expressed great appreciation to the U.S. Congress for 
having voted to extend GSP benefits for two more years; he 
noted that GSP has been very important to exporters in 
certain key sectors of the Argentine economy.  Many of the 
business leaders expressed a feeling that the United States 
and Argentina have a window of opportunity at this time to 
strengthen their relationship.  As has been the case in 
meetings with other business, civic and political leaders, 
one of the participants said that the U.S. should resume 
coldwar era ?soft-diplomacy? initiatives like promotion of 
cultural events, educational exchanges and a more balanced 
public image of the United States. 
 
¶5. Corporate Social Responsibility: One of the key themes 
of the luncheon was corporate social responsibility and the 
continued need for the private sector in Argentina and 
elsewhere in Latin America to improve its image through CSR 
initiatives and an unquestionable commitment to their home 
countries.  They coincided in their assessment that the 
severe economic crisis that Argentina experienced in 
2001/2002 had greatly enhanced the private sector?s 
recognition of the importance of CSR activities and their 
commitment to continue them even after the crisis had 
abated. 
 
¶6. Competitiveness: Another key theme of the luncheon was 
the need for increased regional competitiveness.  Without 
exception the lunch participants all expressed great 
enthusiasm for the Americas Competitiveness Forum and 
Ministerial that Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez 
will host in Atlanta in June 2007.  The business leaders 
all agreed that WH governments and private sector 
organizations must partner with each other to ensure that 
their countries? comparative advantages are efficiently 
translated into competitive advantages though the reduction 
of bureaucracy and the implementation of a longer term 
approach to economic policy.  PSA President Ernesto 
Gutierrez said that the PSA and the Argentine chapter would 
play a leading role in coordinating strong private sector 
participation from throughout the Western Hemisphere in the 
competitiveness forum 
 
¶7. Comment:  The spirit and message conveyed by the 
Argentine private sector was one of engagement and a 
recognition of the important role they have to play in the 
social and economic advancement of their country.  Their 
strong participation in the OAS PSA process demonstrates 
clearly that they are players who recognize the importance 
of achieving greater regional competitiveness to ensure 
Argentine success in the increasingly global economy. 
 
Wayne