[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 243 (Thursday, December 18, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66341-66342]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-33053]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration


Notice of Opportunity to Apply to Serve on the Board

AGENCY: International Trade Administration, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of Opportunity to Apply to Serve on the Board of the 
United States-India Commercial Alliance.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce is currently seeking applications 
for three individuals to serve on the U.S. section of the Board of the 
United States-India Commercial Alliance (USICA). On January 16, 1995, 
Ronald H. Brown, U.S. Secretary of Commerce, and Pranab Mukherjee, 
India's Minister of Commerce, signed terms of reference creating USICA. 
On October 17, 1996, Michael Kantor, U.S. Secretary of Commerce, and 
B.B. Ramaiah, India's Minister of Commerce, signed an agreement 
extending USICA for two years, until January 15, 1999. The purpose of 
USICA is to facilitate the further development of commercial relations, 
trade, and investment between U.S. and Indian private sector 
businesses. USICA is administered and its activities are coordinated by 
a Board composed of an equal number of private sector representatives 
from the United States and India. U.S. and Indian Board members are 
selected by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce and Indian Minister of 
Commerce, respectively. The work of the USICA, which includes trade 
missions, conferences, and roundtables bringing together business 
persons from the United States and India, currently is focused on four 
economic sectors: information technology, transportation and 
infrastructure, food processing and packaging (``agribusiness''), and 
power. Individual Board members generally concentrate their efforts on 
one of these sectors.
    Further Information: Private sector representatives will be 
appointed to the Board for a two year term, or until January 15, 1999, 
if USICA is not extended beyond its current expiration date. 
Applications are now being sought for private sector members to serve 
for a term beginning February 9, 1998. Private sector members will 
serve at the discretion of the Secretary. They are expected to 
participate fully in defining the agenda for USICA and in implementing 
its work program. It is expected that private sector individuals chosen 
for the USICA Board will attend at least 75% of USICA meetings which 
will be held in the U.S. and India.
    Private sector Board members are fully responsible for travel, 
living and personal expenses associated with their participation in 
USICA. The private sector Board members will serve in a representative 
capacity presenting the views and interests of the particular business 
sector in which they operate; private sector Board members are not 
special government employees.
    USICA works on issues of common interest to encourage bilateral 
trade and investment, including, but not limited to, the following:

--Implementing trade/business development and promotion programs 
including trade missions, conferences, exhibits, seminars and other 
events, and
--Adopting sectoral or project oriented approaches to expand business 
opportunities and discussing concerns relating to expanding commercial 
opportunities
    Selection: There are ten positions on the U.S. side of the USICA 
Board, of which three are currently vacant. This notice is seeking 
applications for those three positions.
    Eligibility requirements. Applicants must be:
    <bullet> A U.S. citizen residing in the United States or a 
permanent United States resident;
    <bullet> A CEO or other top management level employee of a U.S. 
company or organization involved in commercial activities between the 
United States and India;
    <bullet> A member of a leading business association; and
    <bullet> Not a registered foreign agent under the Foreign Agents 
Registration Act of 1938 (FARA).
    In reviewing eligible applicants, the Commerce Department will 
consider:
    <bullet> The applicant's expertise in one of the following business 
sectors in which USICA is active: transportation and infrastructure, 
and food processing and packaging (agribusiness);
    <bullet> Readiness to initiate and be responsible for USICA 
activities in the business sectors in which USICA is active;
    <bullet> Ability to contribute in light of overall Board 
composition (for example, to ensure balance in representation of 
industry sectors):
    <bullet> Diversity of company size, type, location, demographics or 
additional under-representation in business.
    To be considered for membership, please provide the following: name 
and title of the individual requesting consideration; name and address 
of the company or organization sponsoring each individual; company's 
product or service line; size of the company; export experience and 
major markets; a brief statement of why each candidate should be 
considered for membership on the USICA Board; the particular segment of 
the business community each candidate would represent; a personal 
resume; and a statement that the applicant is not a registered foreign 
agent under FARA.
    Deadline: In order to receive full consideration, requests must be 
received no later than: January 20, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Please send your requests for consideration to Richard D. 
Harding, Director, Office of South Asia and Oceania, U.S. Department of 
Commerce, Room 2308, 14th St. and Constitution

[[Page 66342]]

Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20230, fax (202) 482-5330.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard D. Harding, Director, Office 
of South Asia and Oceania, U.S. Department of Commerce, Room 2308, 14th 
St. and Constitution Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20230, telephone 
(202) 482-2955, fax (202) 482-5330.

    Authority: 15 U.S.C. 1512.

    Dated: December 12, 1997.
Peter Hale,
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Asia and the Pacific.
[FR Doc. 97-33053 Filed 12-17-97; 8:45 am]
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