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LaHood
to travel with congressional
delegation to South Africa
[MAY 24, 2003]
WASHINGTON -- U.S. Rep. Ray
LaHood, R-Peoria, will join 13 other House members on a
congressional delegation trip to South Africa over the Memorial Day
recess. The delegation will visit with government officials, talk
with business leaders about trade, and discuss AIDS and HIV-related
issues.
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"Trade with African countries along
with the epidemic of HIV/AIDS on the continent have been two issues
that have taken on a heightened significance during the Bush
administration," said LaHood. "This will be my first visit to an
African country outside of Egypt. This mission gives me a great
opportunity to see firsthand how the United States can help improve
the economic conditions of countries in Africa."
It is estimated that 30 million people
on the African continent have the AIDS virus, with three million of
those people under the age of 15. Of the 4 million people who
require immediate drug treatment for AIDS, only 1 percent receive
medical attention. President Bush has called for devoting $15
billion over the next five years to combat AIDS across the globe. A
good deal of those resources will be dedicated to Africa.
The importance of trade with Africa was
highlighted by the passage of the African Growth and Opportunity Act
in May of 2000. This law extends preferential treatment to imports
from eligible countries that are pursuing market reform measures. It
also calls on U.S. agencies to assist African countries with
technical support of trade issues and to negotiate free trade
agreements with interested African countries.
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this article] |
Among the activities the delegation has
scheduled are meetings with President Thabo Mbeki, Trade Minister
Alec Erwin, Nelson Mandela, F.W. DeKlerk and officials of
DaimlerChrysler.
The other
members of Congress in the delegation are Rep. Amo Houghton, R-N.Y.;
Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md.; Rep. Clay Shaw, R-Fla.; Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga..;
Rep. James McDermott, D-Wash.; Rep. Jack Quinn, R-N.Y.; Rep. Mel
Watt, D-N.C.; Rep. Lynn Woolsey, D-Calif.; Rep. Marion Berry,
D-Ark.; Rep. Kay Granger, R-Texas; Rep. Ruben Hinojosa, D-Texas;
Rep. Mary Bono, R-Calif.; and Rep. Lois Capps, D-Calif. The
delegation will leave on Friday, May 23, and return on Saturday, May
31.
[News
release] |
