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SUMMARY:Ambassador Charles Rivkin on the Trans-Pacific Partnership: Opening the World's Most Dynamic Region to U.S. Business
DESCRIPTION:Please join the World Affairs Council of Austin and the U.S. Department of Commerce for a White House Business Council briefing on international trade with Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs Ambassador Charles H. Rivkin. This will be an opportunity for you to ask questions and provide advice about international trade policies and how they affect your business. \nCharles H. Rivkin began serving as Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs on February 13\, 2014\, and was sworn in publicly by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on April 15\, 2014. Rivkin leads the U.S. State Department bureau responsible for managing trade negotiations\, investment treaties\, business and commercial affairs\, economic sanctions\, transportation affairs\, telecommunications policy\, international finance and development related issues\, as well as intellectual property rights protection. In addition\, Rivkin provides guidance to the Department’s 1\,600 economic officers around the world and to the U.S. Mission to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). \nPrior to his appointment\, Rivkin served for more than four years as the U.S. Ambassador to France and Monaco\, leading America’s oldest and one of its largest diplomatic missions\, which contains six constituent posts throughout France and represents over 50 U.S. government agencies. Rivkin’s confirmation marks the first time a U.S. ambassador and former CEO has ever led the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs. \nPrior to his government service\, Ambassador Rivkin worked in the media sector for over 20 years where he served as President and CEO of award-winning entertainment companies such as The Jim Henson Company and Wildbrain. Rivkin helped engineer the sale of The Jim Henson Company in 2000 for nearly $1 billion\, and in 2009\, he was named one of the 100 Most Creative People in Business by Fast Company. \nAmbassador Rivkin received his bachelor’s degree from Yale University in 1984\, graduating with distinction in political science and international relations. He received his M.B.A. from Harvard University in 1988. He was personally awarded the Légion d’honneur with the rank of Commander by French President François Hollande (2013)\, and received the city of Paris’ highest honor – la Grande Médaille de Vermeil de la Ville de Paris – from Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo (2015). \nEvent Partners: \n \n  \n \n  \n \n  \n \n  \n \n  \n \n 
URL:https://wacaustin.org/event/trans-pacific-partnership-opening-the-worlds-most-dynamic-region-to-u-s-business/
LOCATION:BBVA Bank\, 1703 W. 5th\, Ste. 500\, Austin\, TX\, 78703\, United States
CATEGORIES:Ambassador,Asia,Business,Global Trade,International Trade Center
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacaustin.org/wp2015/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/AmbassadorRivkin-e1473304106257.jpg
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20160915T114500
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20160915T130000
DTSTAMP:20160908T002522Z
CREATED:20160721T172926Z
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UID:1957-1473939900-1473944400@wacaustin.org
SUMMARY:Global Business Series: Macedonia Trade Briefing
DESCRIPTION:The World Affairs Council of Austin’s International Trade Center is pleased to offer the Global Business Series: Trade Briefing on Macedonia featuring Ms. Zorica Ilin\, Head of Texas Foreign Office of the Agency for Foreign Investment and Export Promotion of the Republic of Macedonia. \nSince its independence in 1991\, Macedonia has made progress in liberalizing its economy and improving its business environment.  Macedonia’s economy is closely linked to Europe as a customer for exports and source of investment.  The Republic has maintained macroeconomic stability throughout the global financial crisis.   Current monetary policy has kept the domestic currency pegged to the euro. \nA dozen reasons to invest in Macedonia: \nFREE MARKET ACCESS \nDuty-free access to a market of over 650 million customers through three multilateral (SAA\, EFTA and CEFTA) and two bilateral (Turkey and Ukraine) Free Trade Agreements \nLOW TAXES \nFlat corporate and personal income tax rates at 10%; 0% tax on retained earnings \nLOW OPERATIONAL COSTS \nOne of the most cost-competitive locations in Europe \nEXCELLENT GEO-STRATEGIC POSITION \nGoods delivered within a day to Central and Eastern Europe and Turkey\, and maximum two days to Western Europe \nFAST COMPANY REGISTRATION \nOne-stop-shop system for company registration within 4 hours \nEXCELLENT INFRASTRUCTURE \nWireless national backbone infrastructure\, digital telecommunications system\, extensive highway network\, two \ninternational airports with regular connections to main European transportation centers \nRESPONSIVE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM \nUniversities willing to collaborate with incoming investors in meeting the required skills \nEXCELLENT FOREIGN LANGUAGE SKILLS \nEnglish widely spoken\, French and German embedded in the education system\, regional languages in wide use \nAVAILABLE SKILLED WORKFORCE \nA young (42% under the age of 30) and educated workforce with a strong work ethic and excellent industrial relations record \nHIGH QUALITY OF LIFE \nHighly attractive living and working conditions \nPOLITICAL\, MONETARY AND MACROECONOMIC STABILITY \nEU AND NATO CANDIDATE COUNTRY \n  \nProgram partners include: \n  \n                              \n \n             
URL:https://wacaustin.org/event/global-business-series-trade-briefing-2/
LOCATION:TX
CATEGORIES:Business,Europe,Global Business Series,Global Trade,International Trade Center
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacaustin.org/wp2015/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Zorica-Ilin-1-e1473216029853.jpg
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