The United States Government and the Government of Jordan, in cooperation with other G-8 export credit agencies, hosted a major regional conference to address key trade, finance and investment issues in the Broader Middle East and North Africa region.  The U.S. Export-Import Bank, together with the U.S. Overseas Private Investment Corporation, the U.S Trade and Development Agency and the U.S. Department of State (Middle East Partnership Initiative and Office of Commercial and Business Affairs),  sponsored the Broader Middle East and North Africa Trade and Investment Finance Conference at Le Royal Hotel, in Amman, Jordan, May 18 and 19, 2005, with an opening reception the evening of May 17, 2005.   

This conference built upon the commitments made by the Leaders of the G-8 and Broader Middle East and North Africa region to a Partnership for Progress and a Common Future at the June 2004 Sea Island G-8 Summit and the subsequent December 2004 Forum for the Future meetings held in Morocco.  The conference complemented the World Economic Forum meetings held at the Dead Sea in Jordan on May 20, 21 and 22. 

The conference brought together senior representatives of the G-8 export credit, investment and trade development agencies to discuss how more financing can be made available to support increas