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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Special Envoy

For Immediate Release November 9, 1999

             THE PRESIDENT'S SPECIAL ENVOY FOR THE AMERICAS 
        TO TAKE PART IN NATIONAL TRADE DIALOGUE EVENT IN ATLANTA

Washington, DC -- In conjunction with President Clinton's trip to York, Pennsylvania as part of National Trade Dialogue Day, Kenneth "Buddy" MacKay, Jr., President Clinton's Special Envoy for the Americas will travel to Atlanta this Wednesday, November 10, to participate in events at the headquarters of Delta World Airlines. Delta Airlines Chairman and CEO, Leo F. Mullin, and BellSouth Corporation Chairman and CEO F. Duane Ackerman will host the ceremony. MacKay will join US Secretary of Transportation Rodney Slater, Georgia Governor Roy Barnes, Atlanta Mayor Bill Campbell in the gathering, one of over 15 major events being held across the country.

The event will highlight the economic benefits of trade and will bring together over 2,000 people at the historic "Hanger One" headquarters of Delta World Airlines. November 10 has been designated by the Clinton Administration as a day of national dialogue on trade as another step in ongoing efforts to develop a national consensus on trade. Businesses, schools, and civic organizations across the country are being encouraged to organize events to focus on discussion of the benefits and challenges of trade. Wednesday's events are an extension of an ongoing National Trade Tour which have taken US Secretary of Commerce William Daley and other Administration and business leaders to cities across the country to promote the benefits of trade.

In Atlanta, officials will explore how to build upon the success of NAFTA by promoting and strengthening regional trade organizations in the Americas. They will also draw attention to the potential for tremendous economic benefits for the United States and U.S. businesses. Special Envoy MacKay commented recently that, "Atlanta has been a driving force for nurturing our trade relationships with other countries," and added that directing some of that same focus upon the Western hemisphere will give a great boost to the development of U.S. trading markets.

"This celebration in Atlanta will be one of many events in the country where we gather to convince the skeptics who remain, that the benefits of trade helps us all," Special Envoy MacKay stated today. "Building a consensus on trade is a daunting task but the benefits of success will be worth it. It will strengthen our economic and political ties with our neighbors in this hemisphere and will raise our collective consciousness to achieve our common goals of equitable economic growth and prosperity."

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