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CONTACT:    
Donna Thiessen
(703) 875-4357

September 12, 2003

ROMANIAN DELEGATION TO VISIT THE UNITED STATES TO LEARN ABOUT E-GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS

ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA. - The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) is sponsoring an orientation visit (OV) to the United States for nine delegates from the Government of Romania to demonstrate U.S. e-government programs and the technologies associated with implementing them. The delegation will arrive in Washington, D.C. on September 14, 2003. During the visit, organized at the initiative of the U.S. Embassy in Romania and the U.S. Department of Commerce in cooperation with the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology, the delegates will meet with representatives of U.S. government agencies, as well as U.S. technology firms. The visit will conclude on September 20, 2003.

The Government of Romania launched a program in 2001 aimed at modernizing the country's public administration. The program promotes the development of information technology (IT) services and systems designed to improve the functionality of government systems, improve government services, and create a more efficient and transparent public administration. The goal of the USTDA-funded OV is to illustrate various e-government and e-commerce applications and programs that could be used as a model to implement Romania's e-government and IT strategy.

The visiting delegation will consist of representatives from the following Romanian ministries: Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, Ministry of Administration and Interior, and the Ministry of Public Finance. The delegates will meet with U.S. Government officials from the Department of Commerce, including the Information Technology Laboratory at the National Institute of Standards and Technology; the General Services Administration; and the Federal Computer Incident Response Center. In addition, the delegates will meet with representatives of the National Automated Clearing House Association; the Government of Fairfax County, Virginia; The Council for Excellence in Government; and several U.S. technology firms specializing in e-government and e-commerce programs, software, and security.

U.S. firms interested in obtaining information regarding this OV should contact Ms. Emma Ancrum at Computer Frontiers Inc. at (301) 601-0624, or via email at eancrum@computer-frontiers.com.

The U.S. Trade and Development Agency advances economic development and U.S. commercial interests in developing and middle-income countries. The agency funds various forms of technical assistance, feasibility studies, training, orientation visits and business workshops that support the development of a modern infrastructure and a fair and open trading environment. USTDA's strategic use of foreign assistance funds to support sound investment policy and decision-making in host countries creates an enabling environment for trade, investment and sustainable economic development. In carrying out its mission, USTDA gives emphasis to economic sectors that may benefit from U.S. exports of goods and services.