Lebanon Online Portal to Strengthen Business Ties

WASHINGTON, DC—The U.S. Chamber of Commerce launched a program today to connect American and Lebanese business sectors, including agriculture and food processing, banking and finance, healthcare, information technology, and tourism. The centerpiece of this program is an Internet-based partnering portal that will help strengthen business ties between the U.S. and Lebanon.

"The portal will enable U.S. businesses to increase links with Lebanese firms and provide U.S. businesses greater access to the Lebanese market through strategic alliances and business partnerships," said Lt. General Daniel W. Christman, Chamber senior vice president for International Affairs.

The U.S.-Lebanon online portal will assist Lebanese businesses in finding a path to long term economic growth and stability through public-private and private-private partnerships with U.S. firms. All U.S. Chamber of Commerce members can log directly into the business portal to search for Lebanese business opportunities, review detailed firm-level information, and directly contact their counterparts.

This unique program, funded by Chamber member Cisco Systems, Inc., will further the mission of the Partnership for Lebanon, an organization established by leading U.S. business leaders in September 2006 that provides critically needed resources to assist the reconstruction efforts in Lebanon, and to help build a better future for the Lebanese people. Leaders of the Partnership for Lebanon include: Steve Ballmer, CEO, Microsoft Corporation; Craig Barrett, Chairman, Intel Corporation; John Chambers, Chairman and CEO, Cisco; Yousif Ghafari, Chairman, GHAFARI, Inc.; and Dr. Ray Irani, Chairman, President and CEO, Occidental Petroleum Corporation.

The launch of this business partnering portal follows a successful, month-long technical assistance and training effort in Lebanon led by the Chamber. The program reached more than 300 Lebanese firms and transferred valuable business skills in strategic planning, marketing strategy and improving business performance.

The U.S. Chamber is the world's largest business federation representing more than 3 million businesses and organizations of every size, sector, and region.

The portal can be found at: www.uschamber.com/portal/lebanon/default

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