United States Embassy
Israel
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Tel Aviv, Israel
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American Embassy Tel Aviv - Press Section
Press Release
U.S. Ambassador Richard H. Jones Addresses Israel Gateway Exhibition Seminar
November 10, 2005
U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Richard H. Jones, opened his remarks to the audience gathered at yesterday's Israel Gateway Exhibition Seminar by commending the seminar's sponsors "for their efforts to promote stronger economic and commercial relations between the United States and Israel. I share your goal and promise to work very hard to help you succeed."
Explaining that healthy economic relations provide the foundation for strong political relations among nations, Ambassador Jones continued: "We need to do more to encourage American firms to explore the Israeli market, and we will. However, as FTA partners we also need to work together to identify non-tariff barriers to trade and investment. The FTA took the first step by eliminating tariffs; now the challenge is to finish the job by, for example, increasing transparency in public tenders, reducing the negative impact of standards on U.S. exporters, and ensuring the protection of American intellectual property in Israel."
Ambassador Jones added that "a global approach leading to a more flexible standards regime would be of immense benefit to Israeli and American businesses alike. It would allow for the broadest possible choices for Israeli consumers and prevent the need for Israeli companies to manufacture different domestic and export models of the same product."
In closing, Ambassador Jones remarked, "Ultimately, Israel's success as a hi-tech power - with many small companies working on innovative ideas - depends on the development of a sound approach to IPR issues, including modern patent and copyright laws as well as an effective export control regime for sensitive technologies."
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