As one of the most popular of Washington's foreign aid organisations, the corps is already active in around thirty African countries. It is a symbolic gesture by the United States, now given to declaiming its new-found enthusiasm for Africa. It will mainly benefit countries which develop their democratic structures, reform their trade regulations and make full use of their human resources. He stressed the importance of trade, i.e. activity in the private sector. The aim is to give African exports better access to the US market.
Technical assistance is to be stepped up, particularly for trade.
Changing the trade framework Speaking to African representatives from the civil aviation industry, the US secretary for transport, Rodney Slater, put it more bluntly. President Clinton has finally come out in support of commercial diplomacy. George Munoz, who deals with US investment promotion, sees Africa as an important market waiting to be developed. The African trade law is the brainchild of the Democrat Charles Rangel, who points out that Africa is the only part of the world in which the US has not really invested or made any efforts to promote trade. The aim of breaking into Africa's markets also has a political dimension.