The Palestine Investment Conference to be held in Bethlehem, May 21-23, 2008, is designed to demonstrate to the international community that Palestine is "open for business" – that the Palestinian National Authority and the Palestinian private sector see real opportunities for business investment and growth.

The conference will feature presentations and discussions with public and private sector leaders from the region and the international community. Participants will gain valuable market and policy insights into what the Palestinian government is doing to improve the business and investment climate; receive detailed briefings on major project opportunities and developments in key industry sectors including information technology, housing and building materials, agricultural machinery and food processing, financial services, and tourism; and interact with many potential customers and partners.

The conference is a goal of the U.S-Palestinian Public-Private Partnership, a White House initiative to promote economic opportunity and leadership development for Palestinian youth. This conference is organized by the office of Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, with substantial input from Booz Allen and Hamilton.

I believe that the participation of U.S. companies would significantly contribute to the success and impact of this conference, and I encourage you to register for the conference through the conference website at www.pic-palestine.ps