Greater Middle East and Central Asia Development Act of 2004

Bill: 108-s-2305
Sponsor: Sen. Hagel, Chuck [R-NE]
Introduced: 2004-04-08 in the Senate
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Afghanistan
Algeria
American investments
Bahrain
Central Asia
Commerce
Comoros
Congress
Congress and foreign policy
Congressional reporting requirements
Democracy
Department of State
Development credit institutions
Djibouti
Economic assistance
Economic development
Economics and Public Finance
Egypt
Entrepreneurs
Europe
Executive reorganization
Federal officials
Foreign Trade and International Finance
Foreign investments
Foreign loans
Foundations
Free enterprise
Free trade
Gaza Strip
Government Operations and Politics
Iran
Iraq
Iraq compilation
Israel
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Law
Lebanon
Libya
Mauritania
Middle East and North Africa
Morocco
Nongovernmental organizations
Oman
Pakistan
Public-private partnerships
Qatar
Reprogramming of appropriated funds
Rule of law
Sanctions (International law)
Saudi Arabia
Small business
Social Welfare
Somalia
South Asia
State-sponsored terrorism
Sudan
Syria
Tajikistan
Terrorism
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
United Arab Emirates
Uzbekistan
West Bank
Yemen

Summary:
action_date: 2004-04-08
text: 
Greater Middle East and Central Asia Development Act of 2004 - Authorizes the President to provide assistance to countries (excluding those countries supporting international terrorism) in the Greater Middle East and Central Asia to promote economic and political freedoms, free trade, and private sector development, including working with other donors and the countries of the Greater Middle East and Central Asia to establish: (1) a Greater Middle East and Central Asia Development Bank to promote private sector development, trade, including intra-regional trade, and investment in the Greater Middle East and Central Asia; (2) a multilateral Greater Middle East and Central Asia Development Foundation to assist in the administration and implementation of assistance programs, including public-private programs, with emphasis on programs at the grass-roots level; and (3) a multilateral, public-private Trust for Democracy to support grass-roots development of civil society, democratic reform, good governance practices, and rule of law reform in the Greater Middle East and Central Asia. 
 
Defines &quot;Greater Middle East and Central Asia'' as the 22 nations of the Arab world (Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine/West Bank/Gaza, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen), Afghanistan, Iran, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. 
 
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the Secretary of State and the heads of other Government agencies should consider new approaches for the coordination of political and economic support for the countries of the Greater Middle East and Central Asia; and (2) the Secretary should consider appointing a Coordinator for Assistance to the Greater Middle East and Central Asia. 
 
Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to require congressional notification of fund obligations under this Act. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2004-04-08
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. (text of measure as introduced: CR S4027-4028)
action_date: 2004-04-08
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S4027)
action_date: 2004-04-08
text: Introduced in Senate