Baltic region women business leaders to visit U.S.

Fifty women business leaders from Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, and northwestern Russia arrived in the United States on 10 November to continue discussions on business issues begun in Helsinki earlier this year.

They are scheduled to meet with American businesswomen around the country to get a first-hand look at how their businesses are run. Then, from November 13 to 15, they will attend a conference at Georgetown University in Washington, where they will discuss such topics as global growth strategies and business ethics.

The program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. Following is a press release with more details:

U.S. Department of State
Office of the Spokesman
For Immediate Release
November 7, 2002
Media Note

U.S. Department of State and Georgetown University to host Washington program of the Helsinki Women Business Leaders Summit

To promote a greater understanding of opportunities for trade, commerce, and free market economies, the U.S. Department of State and Georgetown University are spearheading the largest ever public-private sector outreach program between the United States and countries of the Baltic Sea region. Fifty outstanding women business leaders from Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, and northwestern Russia will join 50 leading women business leaders from the U.S. for a two-day summit. Georgetown University will host the Washington program of the Helsinki Women Business Leaders Summit, November 13-15, 2002.

This second phase of the Helsinki Women Business Leaders Summit, scheduled for November 10-15, links more than 100 senior-level female executives from the U.S., Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Russia.

Before arriving in Washington, participants from the Baltic Rim will travel to the United States on November 10 for pairings with American counterparts in their hometowns to learn first-hand how they conduct their businesses.

During the Washington program, Professors Lamar Reinsch, Illka Ronkainen, Elaine Romanelli, and Catherine Tinsley from Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business will host panel discussions entitled, Turning Obstacles into Opportunities, Global Growth Strategies, and Ethical Decisions. Other speakers include Under Secretary of State for Public Affairs and Public Diplomacy, Charlotte Beers; Assistant Secretary of State for Education and Cultural Affairs, Patricia Harrison; Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasian Affairs, Beth Jones; Calvert Group CEO and Former Ambassador to the Netherlands, Barbara Krumsiek; Dr. Cynthia Schneider.

Special events during the course of the Washington program will include a briefing at the White House, a State Department reception hosted by Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs Paula Dobriansky, and receptions at the Lithuanian and Finnish Embassies.

For more information and a full schedule of the Helsinki Women Business Leaders Summit, visit: www.usembassy.fi(Linkki toiselle web-sivustolle.) (avautuu uuteen ikkunaan)

Media interested in covering events should call either the Georgetown University communications office or Rainy Young at the Department of State's Bureau of Public Affairs, Media Outreach Office, at (202) 647-0875.