The State Department web site below is a permanent electronic archive of information released prior to January 20, 2001.  Please see www.state.gov for material released since President George W. Bush took office on that date.  This site is not updated so external links may no longer function.  Contact us with any questions about finding information. NOTE: External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views contained therein.

U.S.-Argentine Document Signing Fact Sheet released by the Office of the Spokesman Washington, DC, June 14, 2000

Satellite cooperation with NASA.   This document is to be signed by NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin and Foreign Minister Adalberto Rodriguez Giavarini, and is a joint statement of cooperation between the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Argentine National Commission of Space Activities. The joint statement refers to the development of a new NASA-CONAE satellite mission called SAC-D. It will bring together the expertise of the two agencies to develop capabilities for observation of the earth, increasing our scientific understanding of greenhouse gases, climate change, flooding, pollution, plant species trends, desertification, and agricultural production patterns.

The Administrator and Foreign Minister are also signing an amendment to the 1996 NASA-CONAE Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation on the Argentine Scientific Application Satellite mission, scheduled for launch later this year. The memorandum provides for inclusion of the Argentine spacecraft into a NASA spacecraft constellation composed of Landsat-7, Terra and Earth Observing-1 satellites. By directing a group of satellites to look simultaneously at the same area of the earth's surface, the United States and Argentina will obtain improved data.

Anti-corruption Cooperation with OGE/State OIG.   This document is a cooperative Memorandum of Understanding between the State Department's Office of the Inspector General, the U.S. Office of Government Ethics and the Argentine Ministry of Justice's Anti-Corruption Office. Secretary of State Albright is signing for the United States and Foreign Minister Rodriguez Giavarini for Argentina. The parties acknowledge existing cooperation -- going back several years -- between the Argentine Government and the Office of Government Ethics.

The Memorandum expands existing cooperation involving the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, directed by Stephen Potts. In addition, it initiates new cooperation between the Government of Argentina and the State Department's Office of the Inspector General, headed by Jacquelyn Williams-Bridgers. The memorandum calls for an exchange of experience among the three agencies to promote government anti-corruption efforts, efficiency and transparency. Specific areas encompassed by this cooperation include government procurement, administration and accountability, internal controls, auditing, and standards of official conduct and for the acceptance of gifts, and avoidance of conflict of interest.

Extradition Treaty.   The Secretary of State and Foreign Minister are signing the Protocol of Exchange and exchanging instruments of ratification -- signed by each country's President -- to bring into force an extradition treaty. Signed in 1997 and subsequently approved by both Governments, this new treaty provides for extradition of fugitives from justice, including each country's nationals.

The first of its kind in Latin America, this extradition treaty is a landmark agreement that the U.S. hopes will serve as a model for treaties with many other countries in the Hemisphere.

[end of document]

|| Western Hemisphere Affairs | U.S. Department of State ||