Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 52 / Tuesday, March 18, 1997 / Notices 12871

10 17 CFR 200.30–3(a)(12) (1989).

longer period to be appropriate and

publishes its reasons for so finding or

(ii) as to which the self-regulatory

organization consents, the Commission

will:

A. by order approve such proposed

rule change, or

B. institute proceedings to determine

whether the proposed rule change

should be disapproved.

IV. Solicitation of Comments

Interested persons are invited to

submit written data, views, and

arguments concerning the foregoing.

Persons making written submissions

should file six copies thereof with the

Secretary, Securities and Exchange

Commission, 450 Fifth Street, N.W.,

Washington, D.C. 20549. Copies of the

submission, all subsequent

amendments, all written statements

with respect to the proposed rule

change that are filed with the

Commission, and all written

communications relating to the

proposed rule change between the

Commission and any person, other than

those that may be withheld from the

public in accordance with the

provisions of 5 U.S.C. 552, will be

available for inspection and copying in

the Commission’s Public Reference

Room. Copies of such filing will also be

available for inspection and copying at

the principal office of the NASD. All

submissions should refer to the file

number in the caption above and should

be submitted by April 8, 1997.

For the Commission, by the Division of

Market Regulation, pursuant to delegated

authority.10

Margaret H. McFarland,

Deputy Secretary.

[FR Doc. 96–6714 Filed 3–17–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8010–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 2518]

Advisory Committee for Study of

Eastern Europe and the Independent

States of the Former Soviet Union;

Notice of Meeting

The Department of State announces

that the Advisory Committee for Study

of Eastern Europe and the Independent

States of the Former Soviet Union (Title

VIII) will convene on April 11, 1997,

beginning at 10:00 a.m. in Room 1105,

U.S. Department of State, 2201 C Street,

NW, Washington, DC.

The Advisory Committee will

recommend grant recipients for the FY

1997 competition of the Program for

Study of Eastern Europe and the

Independent States of the Former Soviet

Union in connection with the ‘‘Research

and Training for Eastern Europe and the

Independent States of the Former Soviet

Union Act of 1983, as amended.’’ The

agenda will include opening statements

by the Chairman and members of the

Committee and, within the Committee,

discussion, approval, and

recommendation that the Department of

State negotiate grant agreements with

certain ‘‘national organizations with an

interest and expertise in conducting

research and training concerning the

countries of Eastern Europe and the

independent states of the former Soviet

Union,’’ based on the guidelines

contained in the call for applications

published in the Federal Register on

October 4, 1996. Following committee

deliberation, interested members of the

public may make oral statements

concerning the Title VIII program in

general.

This meeting will be open to the

public; however, attendance will be

limited to the seating available. Entry

into the Department of State building is

controlled and must be arranged in

advance of the meeting. Those planning

to attend should notify Joanne Bramble,

INR/RES, U.S. Department of State,

(202) 736–4572, by April 8, 1997,

providing their date of birth, Social

Security number, and any requirements

for special needs. All attendees must

use the 2201 C Street, NW, entrance to

the building. Visitors who arrive

without prior notification and without a

photo ID will not be admitted.

Dated: February 11, 1997.

Kenneth E. Roberts,

Executive Director, Advisory Committee for

Study of Eastern Europe and the Independent

States of the Former Soviet Union.

[FR Doc. 97–6739 Filed 3–17–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4710–32–M

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES

TRADE REPRESENTATIVE

Trade Policy Staff Committee: Request

for Comments Concerning Financial

Services Negotiations Under the

General Agreement on Trade in

Services of the World Trade

Organization

ACTION: Notice and request for

comments.

SUMMARY: The Office of the U.S. Trade

Representative (USTR) is soliciting

public comments on the requests made

to U.S. negotiating partners in the

negotiations on financial services under

the General Agreement on Trade in

Services (GATS). The GATS is one of

the Uruguay Round agreements

administered by the World Trade

Organization (WTO). Interested persons

are invited to submit their comments on

market-opening commitments that

should be sought in the financial

services sector by April 17, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Peter Collins, Deputy Assistant U.S.

Trade Representative for Services and

Investment, Office of the United States

Trade Representative, (202) 395–7271

(for insurance issues and for general

GATS issues), or Matthew Hennesy,

Director, Office of Financial Services

Negotiations, U.S. Department of the

Treasury, (202) 622–0151 (for financial

services other than insurance).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Negotiations on financial services were

extended for six months at the end of

the Uruguay Round to allow for further

progress. The current interim financial

services agreement of July 1995 will

expire at the end of 1997, when WTO

Members have a 60-day period in which

to modify (or withdraw) their

commitments. The negotiations will

formally commence in April, at the first

meeting of the WTO Committee on

Trade in Financial Services, the

negotiating body.

The United States is a full participant

in the interim arrangement and is

entitled to all market access and

national treatment commitments

scheduled by other participants. In its

schedule of commitments, in force since

June 30, 1995, the U.S. has committed

to protect the existing investments of

foreign financial services providers in

the United States. The U.S. took an

MFN exemption, and thus reserved the

right to provide differing levels of

treatment, with respect to expansion

and new activities by these financial

services providers, and or with respect

to new entrants to the U.S. financial

market.

The United States is in the process of

preparing requests for market-opening

commitments from other countries

participating in the negotiations. These

requests may be submitted as early as

May 1997.

The U.S. objective in the negotiations

is to obtain significantly improved

commitments that provide financial

services suppliers substantially full

market access and national treatment on

a non-discriminatory basis. Interested

persons are invited to submit their

comments on commitments the United

States should seek in insurance,

banking, securities, and other financial

services.