Remarks by DCM Brian L. Goldbeck at Summer Trade Seminar Graduation Ceremony June 29, 2007

On behalf of Ambassador Minton, who regrettably could not be present at this important graduation ceremony, I wish to congratulate all of you for your efforts and achievements. This year we mark the 20^th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and this seminar reflects our commitment to expand bilateral trade, Mongolia’s trade capacity, and its integration into the world’s economy.

First, we wish to express our appreciation to our partners, the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), the Mongolian National University (MNU), and the German International Cooperation (GTZ) for joining forces with USAID and the Economic Policy Reform and Competitiveness Project (EPRC) in sponsoring the Summer Trade Seminar. 
Second, we wish to express our thanks to the very competent professionals that gave their time, knowledge, and expertise to convey much-needed knowledge on trade instruments, international experiences, and analytical tools that we hope will serve participants well in their professional careers.

Lastly, and more importantly, I want to congratulate you, the graduates on your achievement, on giving your time and dedication away from jobs, family, and the myriad of commitments of daily life, and take part in two weeks of intensive training. I trust your time was well invested and that you will use the knowledge and skills gained to your advantage and to Mongolia’s advantage in developing a more competitive and integrated position in the world trade system.

But building trade capacity is a process, not an event. Mongolians, you in particular, will need to energize, engage, and contribute – repeat: energize, engage, and contribute.
I was pleased to learn that our partners at GTZ and EPRC are joining forces to develop providing small grants to worthwhile applications to support the analysis of current trade issues and policies relevant to Mongolia. We hope that networks of trade policy analysts will begin to form and contribute to a more enlightened development of trade options and public discussions of these in Mongolia. This will be the measure of success for this trade seminar – our contribution to an enlightened public discussion of costs and benefits of trade policies. This, as you know, is not the current situation.

In conclusion, we look forward to you, the graduates to develop your own voices in this informed dialogue on trade issues in your own country and we wish you success in this endeavor and your professional careers.

Thank you!