A CONFERENCE ON ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES PROVIDED BY ISRAEL AND JORDAN’S AGREEMENT TO CEASE HOSTILITIES WILL BE HELD IN ATLANTA IN LATE MARCH.  THE SPECIFIC DATE STILL IS TO BE DETERMINED.

AMONG THE SPONSORS IS THE AMERICAN-ISRAEL EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE-SOUTHEAST, INC., (AIEI), AN ATLANTA-BASED, NEWLY FORMED, NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO GREATER AWARENESS ABOUT ISRAEL’S ECONOMY AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR ECONOMIC COOPERATION THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE EAST.  THE CONFERENCE WILL BE THE FIRST PROGRAM SPONSORED BY THE INSTITUTE, WHICH WAS FORMED IN JANUARY TO SUPPORT WORKSHOPS, SEMINARS, LECTURES AND OTHER PUBLIC EVENTS FEATURING EXPERTS ON ISRAEL’S ECONOMY.

ATLANTA WOMEN IN INTERNATIONAL TRADE, ARAB-AMERICAN BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION AND AMERICAN-ISRAEL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE-SOUTHEAST REGION ARE ALSO CO-SPONSORS OF THE EVENT TO BE HELD AT THE SHERATON COLONY SQUARE HOTEL IN MIDTOWN.

THE CONFERENCE WILL FEATURE TZIPA CARMON OF TC EXPORTS WHICH SERVES AS THE BUYING OFFICE FOR HOME DEPOT IN ISRAEL, JEFF CHAUVIN, EXPORT MANAGER FOR GEORGIA-PACIFIC, AND JOHN GAREEB, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF KALENE INTERNATIONAL AND THE ATLANTA OLYMPIC ATTACH… TO SYRIA’S NATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE.

MS. CARMON WILL DISCUSS THE CONSUMER PRODUCTS ISRAEL IS PROVIDING THE ATLANTA-BASED RETAILER. MR. CHAUVIN WILL SHARE HIS COMPANY’S SUCCESS IN EXPORTING PULP PRODUCTS TO THE MIDDLE EAST. AND MR. GAREEB WILL PROVIDE HIS FIRST-HAND OBSERVATIONS OF HOW THE PEACE PROCESS IS DEVELOPING IN THE REGION.

THE AIEI IS LOCATED AT THE OFFICES OF THE AMERICAN-ISRAEL CHAMBER AND ITS PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES ARE TO BE MANAGED BY THE CHAMBER.  AIEI HAS ITS OWN OFFICERS AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS, INCLUDING ATLANTA ATTORNEY ARNOLD SIDMAN AS ITS PRESIDENT.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE CONFERENCE CALL TOM GLASER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE AMERICAN-ISRAEL CHAMBER, AT (404) 874-6970; FAX, (404) 874-7277.

FACILITATION PAYMENTS, COMMONLY KNOWN AS BRIBES, ARE ABSOLUTELY NOT REQUIRED, AND ABSOLUTELY NOT NECESSARY” TO DO BUSINESS IN INDIA, SAID JAI S. PATHAK, HEAD OF THE INDIA OFFICE OF THE LAW FIRM JONES, DAY, REAVIS & POGUE AT A LUNCHEON AT THE WORLD TRADE CENTER ATLANTA ON FEB. 14.

MR. PATHAK’S COMMENTS WERE IN RESPONSE TO A QUESTION TO HIS SPEECH IN WHICH, HE SAID THAT LEGAL AND ECONOMIC REFORMS HAVE MADE IT MUCH EASIER TO ESTABLISH BRANCH OFFICES, PARTICIPATE IN JOINT VENTURES, AND MAKE ACQUISITIONS.

AFTER BEING INVOLVED IN INDIA ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS FOR SOME TIME, JONES DAY ESTABLISHED A PERMANENT OFFICE IN NEW DELHI ON NOV. 1. INITIALLY, JONES DAY’S PRESENCE IN INDIA CONSISTED MAINLY OF CORPORATE AND TAX WORK, SAID MR. PATHAK, BUT SINCE 1993 IT HAS SHIFTED TO INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS AS COMPANIES IMPROVE THE POOR INFRASTRUCTURE THAT EXISTED BEFORE ECONOMIC REFORMS WERE INTRODUCED IN 1991.

ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT OF THOSE REFORMS IS THAT FOREIGN FIRMS ARE NO LONGER RESTRICTED TO ONLY 40% OWNERSHIP OF AN INDIAN COMPANY, A PROVISION THAT LIMITED PROFITS AND CONTROL.

NOW, OUTSIDE ORGANIZATIONS MAY OWN UP TO 51% OF AN INDIAN COMPANY WITHOUT ANY QUESTIONS, AND ABOVE THAT MUST ONLY SUBMIT AN APPLICATION FOR GOVERNMENT APPROVAL.

THERE ARE STILL SOME PROBLEMS, HOWEVER, HE WARNED, ESPECIALLY IN LICENSING AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY PROTECTION.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL JONES DAY AT (404) 521-3939.

BY  BRIANA  PEHLMAN