Washington, US - Business leaders from 11 African nations will be among those from 30 countries who are billed to travel to the US 25 Sept-14 Oct. as part of a programme aimed at strengthening the business relationships between the international entrepreneurs and their American counterparts.

In a statement here, the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announced that the entrepreneurs would participate in the programme, tagged: “A New Beginning: Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation”.

It said the business leaders would come from Afghanistan, Argentina, Bahrain, Belgium, Benin, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brunei, Cote d'Ivoire, Denmark, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, and France

Others are from The Gambia, India, Indonesia, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Mauritania, Morocco, Netherlands, Nigeria, Philippines, Singapore, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey and the United Kingdom.

Now in its second year, “A New Beginning” provides an opportunity to highlight and support business and social entrepreneurship, especially in Muslim communities around the world, while developing people-to-people relationships with American businesses.

This four-year initiative of the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) was first announced by President Barack Obama at the Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship in April 2010.

The participants will meet with leading American entrepreneurs, business executives and government officials to hone their entrepreneurial endeavors and skills.

During their three-week visit, the participants will visit four cities: Washington, D.C.; Phoenix, Arizona; San Francisco, California; and New York City.

Now in its 70th year, the IVLP is the U.S. Department of State’s premier professional exchange programme, connecting current and emerging foreign leaders with their American counterparts through short-term programmes to build mutual understanding on foreign policy issues.

Nearly 200,000 distinguished individuals have participated in the programme, including more than 320 current and former Chiefs of State and Heads of Government, and thousands of leaders from the public and private sectors.

Pana 24/09/2011