((a)) ** Statement of the Congress** The Congress recognizes that the stated policy of the executive branch in 1997, the “Partnership for Growth and Opportunity in Africa” initiative, is a step toward the establishment of a comprehensive trade and development policy for sub-Saharan Africa. It is the sense of the Congress that this Partnership is a companion to the policy goals set forth in this chapter.

((b)) ** Technical assistance to promote economic reforms and development** In addition to continuing bilateral and multilateral economic and development assistance, the President shall target technical assistance toward—

((1)) developing relationships between United States firms and firms in sub-Saharan Africa through a variety of business associations and networks;

((2)) providing assistance to the governments of sub-Saharan African countries to—

((A)) liberalize trade and promote exports;

((B)) bring their legal regimes into compliance with the standards of the World Trade Organization in conjunction with membership in that Organization;

((C)) make financial and fiscal reforms; and

((D)) promote greater agribusiness linkages;

((3)) addressing such critical agricultural policy issues as market liberalization, agricultural export development, and agribusiness investment in processing and transporting agricultural commodities;

((4)) increasing the number of reverse trade missions to growth-oriented countries in sub-Saharan Africa;

((5)) increasing trade in services; and

((6)) encouraging greater sub-Saharan African participation in future negotiations in the World Trade Organization on services and making further commitments in their schedules to the General Agreement on Trade in Services in order to encourage the removal of tariff and nontariff barriers.