Dear Potential Member, On behalf of the Board of Directos of the U.S.-Angola chamber of Commerce, it is my pleasure to acquaint you with the Chamber and our activities.  There is no question that Angola and the United States share important interests, inlcuding economic ties and that U.S. and Angola companies can contribut significantly to the economic development and stability fo Angola.  As the former U.S. Special Envoy to the Angolan Peace Process, I can attest to the important role the Chamber plays in promoting its members' interests.  The Chamber is in a special position to assist and facilitate firms interested in Angola. Founded seventeen years ago, the Chamber is the oldest, and indeed the only, organization devoted exclusively to the promotion of U.S. trade and investment in Angola and Angolan economic development.  American firms, as well as leaders in the Angolan private sector, recognize the advantages of being members of the Chamber.  In addition, we maintain reliable and informative contacts with members of the U.S. and Angolan governments, the international diplomatic community and the non-profit sector. The Chamber offers its members accurate and timely assessments of political and economic developments in the United States and Angola, and schedules special events with senior Angolan officials visiting the United States.  President Jose Eduardo dos Santos, numerous cabinet ministers, and the directors of the state oil and diamond companies have all been our guests.  Another important activity is trade missions and business symposiums.  We organized our last trade mission in October 2006. The event was highly attended by companies who are already established and by companies who wanted to start business with Angola.  In May of 2007, we hosted the first Angola Day in Washington, DC.  Angola Day sought to share progress, challenges and opportunities facing Angola, now in its sixth year of peace.  There is a full report on the trade mission/symposium and Angola Day in our newsletter "The Angola Report". We strongly believe that Angola has the potential to be one of Africa's most prosperous countries, and that conditions are favorable for the private sector to be in the  forefront of Angola's development and reconstruction.  We also believe that the Chamber, by concentrating soley on Angola, offers its members a degree of in-depth contacts and expertise not found in any other organization. On behalf of the Board of Directors, I hope that you will accept our invitation to join the Chamber now so that you may begin benefiting from our unique services.  Please contact us Washington at (202) 857-0789 or browse this site, to acquaint you with some of our more recent activities.  To apply, click Membership Application. Sincerely, Paul J. Hare President