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This is an archived USAID document retained on this web site as a matter of public record.
USAID Participates in 7th Annual U.S. West Coast-Russian Far East Conference
U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
PRESS RELEASE
WASHINGTON, DC 20523
PRESS OFFICE
http://www.usaid.gov
(202) 712-43202002-107
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 19, 2002Contact: USAID Press Office
ANCHORAGE, AK -- Dr. Kent Hill, Assistant Administrator for Europe and Eurasia in the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), headed a USAID delegation participating in the 7th annual meeting of the U.S. West Coast - Russian Far East Ad Hoc Working Group this week in Anchorage, Alaska. This was the first stop on a 19-day trip that will also take Dr. Hill to the Russian Far East and Egypt.
During the conference Dr. Hill met with various Russian and U.S. officials and participated in discussions with five Russian Far East governors as well as U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation Alexander Vershbow and Alaska Governor Tony Knowles. Hill also visited the campus of the University of Alaska-Anchorage where he met with the directors and staffs of the American Russian Center (ARC) and the Alaska-Chukotka Development programs. With USAID funding the ARC program has opened ten business training centers throughout the Russian Far East. Another USAID-supported initiative, the Alaska-Chukotka Development program, has marshaled Alaska's experience and resources to work with the public and private sectors of the Russian Far East region of Chukotka, to improve living conditions and employment opportunities for the region's residents.
In discussions Thursday with Alaska state officials, Hill was briefed on the current activities of the Alaska-Sakhalin Working Group (ASWG), a program that provides both the public and private sectors in Sakhalin with support to enhance the development of the energy, environmental management, aviation, legislative and financial sectors. Last week USAID signed a new two-year agreement to continue to support the ASWG.
"The charge of the U.S. West Coast - Russian Far East Ad Hoc Working Group is to make a difference in people's lives," said Dr. Hill in his keynote address to conference participants on Thursday. "In this case, it means spurring sustainable growth, fostering democracy and providing for the welfare of the citizens of Russia's Far East. USAID will continue to support efforts to develop projects that can serve as models, but we also recognize that the challenge now is to spread the word to replicate these successful projects in every corner of the Russian Federation. None of us has all the resources to make this happen, but together we do. This idea of networks is one that crosses sectors. People and organizations working together toward a common goal can have a remarkable impact - as we say, greater than the sum of its parts."
The U.S. West Coast - Russian Far East Ad Hoc Working Group focuses on trade and economic development between the U.S. West Coast states and the Russian Far East. More than 300 Russian and U.S. business and government leaders attended the Anchorage conference, which provided opportunities for public and private sector leaders and non-governmental organizations to explore improved ties in areas of business, transportation, health care, education and indigenous issues.
With over $15 million of USAID's approximately $100 million Russia budget going towards projects involving the Russian Far East, USAID is an enthusiastic participant in the Ad Hoc Working Group. USAID currently has over 30 ongoing technical assistance programs or projects in the region, including initiatives aimed at improving local governance, promoting and strengthening judicial institutions, aiding in the development of small- and medium-sized enterprises, increasing the capacity of non-governmental institutions and supporting partnership programs aimed at assisting in the exchange of knowledge and experience.
U.S. Agency for International Development is the government agency that has provided humanitarian assistance and economic development worldwide for more than 40 years.
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Last Updated on: December 30, 2008 |
