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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release October 7, 1999

          PRESIDENT CLINTON'S SPECIAL ENVOY FOR THE AMERICAS 
               TO ATTEND HISPANIC CONFERENCE IN CHICAGO

     President Clinton's Special Envoy for the Americas, Kenneth "Buddy"

MacKay Jr., will address a conference at the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute in Chicago on Thursday, October 7th. As the keynote speaker, the Special Envoy will present his vision of the Institute's potential for promoting trade agreements throughout the hemisphere. He will discuss the Caribbean Basin Trade Enhancement Act legislation (CBI), currently being considered by Congress and how it will directly affect Chicago-area and Midwestern corporations.

The proposed legislation would provide incentives for American corporations to invest in the Caribbean region in order to integrate and expand their local existing manufacturing base.

While in Chicago, the Special Envoy will also meet with local government and business leaders to discuss ways to strengthen ties between local trade organizations and the Hispanic communities throughout the Americas.

"The driving force behind globalization is people seeking opportunities, developing relationships, and making investments within the framework of effective trade agreements," MacKay said before leaving Washington. "And in Chicago, we have an additional advantage in that Hispanic entrepreneurs give us a vital edge to work toward the integration of the emerging hemispheric economy in the next century."

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