International Trade Committee in Action

Harris Country Judge Ed Emmet hosted a high level Gabonese Delegation on July 25, 2018. The delegation included Minister of Oil and Hydrocarbons  Mr. Pascal HOUANGNI AMBOUROUE, Deputy Chief of Staff for the President of Gabon Mr. Roger OWONO MBA and Director General of Hydrocarbons Mr. Bernadin MVE ASSOUMOU and other government representatives.

The Gabonese Republic is a sovereign state on the west coast of Central Africa. Located on the equator, Gabon is bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, the Republic of the Congo on the east and south, and the Gulf of Guinea to the west. It has an area of nearly 100,000 sq mi and its population is estimated at 2 million people. Its capital and largest city is Libreville.

The West African offshore oil and gas industry has a history of exploration going back more than 50 years, with international majors, as well as smaller independent companies having held licenses all along the West African coast since oil was first discovered in the Niger Delta in the late 1950s. Gabon has hosted many such companies over the years among them many U.S. companies.

The Minister of Oil and Hydrocarbons  Mr. Pascal HOUANGNI AMBOUROUE in his discussion about trade opportunities between the US and Gabon assured Judge Emmet that the current president of Gabon Mr. Ali Bongo Ondimba is very keen on attracting more US businesses to Gabon and that the President is putting much efforts to modernize and improve existing infrastructure, and create more opportunities for U.S. firms in housing, water and waste treatment, healthcare technology, aviation infrastructure and maintenance, road construction, medicine, cultural exchange and education.

The Judge and the Gabon delegates discussed ways that will allow Harris County develop opportunities for new ideas, programs, exchange in experience that will benefit both countries and the minister assured that Republic of Gabon is creating an investment friendly environment   to enable the country to attract more investments, in particular US ones which will expand potential partnership between Gabon and the US.

Lilit Kirsh, M.B.A., B.S., iHR

Council Member, International Economic Development, Office of Harris County Judge Ed Emmett