The American Chamber of Commerce Libya (AmCham) held its inaugural networking breakfast meeting at the US embassy in Tripoli on Thursday 31st January.
The meeting, organized by Richard Griffiths, President of AmCham
Libya, gathered representatives of 18 US companies in Libya to discuss
doing business in Libya.
The meeting was attended by US Charge d’Affairs William Roebuck, Nate
Mason US Commercial Attaché, Richard Griffiths President of AmCham
Libya, the president of the Tripoli Chamber of Commerce Khalil Mahfoud,
the head of the newly formed Libyan Women’s Business Council Ibtisam
Benamer.
The meeting also included US companies in Libya and or their
representatives, including: Christopher Cole Shoemaker (CEVA), Hunter
Keith, (DAI), Danel Wenner (Halliburton), Andrew Griminger (Management
Systems International), Greg Cunningham (FARMCO), Robert O’Hanlon
(Deloitte & Touche (M.E.), Hussam Al-Ghazaly (Al Ghazaly Group &
Textron), John Brooke and Adela Suliman (Clyde and Co), Louise Gatt
(FCM Travel Solutions), Yousef Serrag (Interconex), Fauzia Alfaki
(Excelsior), Hussam Imam (Bell/Cessna/Textron/Iomax), Saleh Aboukamil
(Ernst & Young), Brigitte Sheffer (Bloomberg), (MERRICK USA) and
Sami Zaptia of Tapark Oilfield Supply Company (Parker Hannifin
Instrumentation).
US Charge d’Affairs William Roebuck in his opening remarks said that
“there are lots of challenges to doing business in Libya as a US
company, but I am encouraged to see you all here doing the hard work.”
Nate Mason, US Commercial Attaché for his part, welcomed the gathered
and confirmed that the US was working with its Libyan counterparts to
improve trade relations and implement previously signed trade
agreements.
Richard Griffiths President of AmCham Libya said that “the support
that AmCham Libya has received from Washington, the US embassy and the
founding members of AmCham Libya has been unprecedented. It is a
testimony to what we can do here in Libya. American companies are
committed to working in Libya in an ethical and professional way. And we
will be working with the Tripoli Chamber of Commerce as our counterpart
here in Libya.”
Mahfoud Khalil, head of the Tripoli Chamber of Commerce hoped “that
commercial cooperation continues and grows with US companies. I would
like to thank the US for its help to Libya when it needed it and I would
like to repeat my condolences for the death of ambassador Chris
Stevens”.
Ibtisam Benamer,member of the Tripoli Chamber of Commerce board and
head of the Libyan Women’s Business Council said that she hoped “more
women do business with US companies. I know all Libyans are waiting for
the big US companies to come to Libya”.
There then followed a lively discussion regarding doing business in
the Libyan market and the various company representatives shared their
views, experiences and outlooks on the Libyan market.
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