WASHINGTON, D.C. /eNewsChannels/ — Alongside this week’s first-ever international Partners for a New Beginning (PNB) Summit at the Aspen Institute, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton hosted a dinner in its honor on May 31, 2011 for senior U.S. government officials, PNB Steering Committee Members and PNB Local Chapter leaders.
In April 2011, Secretary Clinton announced at this year’s U.S.-Islamic World Forum that Partners for a New Beginning (PNB) would convene this summit to connect American investors with partners in transitional democracies in the Middle East and North Africa, with an eye to creating more jobs and boosting trade.
The dinner discussion was moderated by PNB Chair and former Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright, and PNB Vice Chairs Muhtar Kent, Chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company, and Walter Isaacson, President and CEO of the Aspen Institute. Special Representative for Global Partnerships Kris Balderston also participated.
The local PNB Chapter leaders in attendance at the dinner included Abdelmadjid Fechkeur from Algeria, Asep Sulaeman from Indonesia, Omar Chaabi from Morocco, Asad Umar from Pakistan, Zahi Khouri from the Palestinian Territories, and Rifat Hisarciklioglu from Turkey.
In recognition of the historic changes underway in the Middle East and North Africa, members of PNB announced new efforts to support sustainable and inclusive growth in the region. Taken together, these efforts will harness hundreds of millions of dollars and deepen the collaboration between the U.S. and local communities abroad on areas of mutual interest. The full list of new programs and partnerships announced by PNB members can be found here.
Partners for a New Beginning is coordinated by the Secretary of State’s Global Partnership Initiative (S/GPI) and the Office of the Under Secretary for Economic, Energy and Agricultural Affairs. For more information, visit http://www.state.gov/s/partnerships/newbeginning .
