Former Honorary Chairman of OSI Wider Caribbean and Latin America, Senator Clopatofsky, and OSI President Dr Sebek, briefed a number of Ambassadors and senior officials in Bogotá on 19th and 20th June 2007 on the forthcoming OSI work in the Wider Caribbean and Latin America. Meetings were held with H.E. Antonio Tarelli, Ambassador of Italy, H.E. Jean-Michel Marloud, Ambassador of France, H.E. Carlos Gomez-Mugica Sanz, Ambassador of Spain, Mr. Bas M. van Noordenne (Head of Cooperation) and Ms. Sylvia E.van Uden (in charge of economic affairs and private sector) of the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Bogotá. Senator and OSI President were accompanied by Ms. Caroly Cadena, Senator’s adviser on international affairs and Mr. Nestor Garrido, former OSI Adviser on Colombian Affairs.
The purpose of the meetings was to strengthen links between OSI and lead external partners and discuss their participation in OSI Forums in 2008.

As for the Cartagena Forum cooperation between OSI and private sector was one of the lead themes. OSI is thus delighted to be able to announce that the Dutch technological lead company, TNO, has decided to join OSI as a corporate member. More news on TNO can be found on the links page. This follows active participation of TNO at the Corpus Christi Conference and decision to develop a series of blueprints to mark future strong cooperation between OSI and TNO. To this end Dr Sebek-OSI briefed at a meeting in the Netherlands, TNO senior officials: Mr. Ron Oorschot, head of environmental section, and Dr. Cees Laban, head of geology section TNO and OSI discussed possible joint activities in the Wider Caribbean and elsewhere which are being planned in the course of 2007 and 2008. Discussions also focused on possible participation of other Dutch companies.
Honorary Chairman of OSI Wider Caribbean and Latin America, Senator Clopatofsky, and Dr. Sebek, accompanied by Mr. Garrido and Ms. Caroly Cadena, met with Mr. Colvin Liu, representative of the Commercial Office of Taipei in Bogotá, and Mr.Gianni Yeh, Director of the Commercial office in Taipei, to discuss possible cooperation with private sector.
Dr. Sebek, Mr. Garrido and Ms. Cadena also met in Bogotá on 20th June with Mr. Mario J Lizana-Allende, President of Chile-U.S. Chamber of Commerce, to discuss future cooperation with Chilean private sector.
OSI is currently developing modalities of concrete operation with private sector as its future role will increasingly focus on its anticipated work as a catalytic and facilitating clearing house for projects.

Honorary Chairman of OSI Wider Caribbean and Latin America Senator Clopatofsky, and Dr Sebek met on 24th June in Madrid with Dr. Enrique Iglesias, Secretary General of the Ibero-American Secretariat General (SEGIB), as well as with Mr. Ramiro Osorio, Director of Cultural Affairs of SEGIB and a former Minister of Culture of Colombia. They discussed possible cooperation between SEGIB and OSI in preparation for the Cartagena 2008 Forum, with emphasis on cultural tourism. They were accompanied by Mrs. Rosario Clopatofsky, Mr. Fernando Casas, new OSI senior policy adviser on Ibero-American Affairs, Ms. Maria Gomez, of the Spanish Oceanographic Institute and Mr. Steve Adames, adviser to Senator Clopatofsky on international affairs, based in Madrid. Discussions have continued since.

On 5th July, OSI President held the latest in a series of meetings with Ambassador David Balton, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Oceans Environment and Science at the State Department. Ambassador Balton has followed OSI activities since its inception in Tripoli in 2005 and also participated at the Corpus Christi Conference. He coordinates OSI affairs for all other US agencies.

In the course of the Madrid OSI visit, a meeting was also organized between OSI and representatives of the Ministry of Science and Education (Spanish Oceanographic Institute), (Dr Juan Acosta and Maria Gomez), Universidad Complutense (Professor Andrés Carbó), and Ministry of Defense (Commander Dr Jose Martín Dávila ). Cooperation between OSI and Spanish ministries was included on this occasion, and a further briefing was provided to Cooperacion Espanola (Spanish Aid Ministry).

To facilitate anticipated enhanced cooperation between OSI and Latin American countries as well as Spain, OSI is delighted to be able to announce that Mr. Fernando Casas, has agreed to act as its policy adviser on Ibero-American affairs. Mr. Casas is based in Madrid, but also operates from the United States and Venezuela. He accompanied Honorary Chairman of OSI Wider Caribbean and Latin America, Senator Clopatofsky, and Dr. Sebek at June 2007  meetings in Madrid and will be responsible for the follow up activities, especially with SEGIB.

OSI is also very proud to announce that Honorary Chairman of OSI Wider Caribbean and Latin America, Senator Clopatofsky, has been asked to chair in June 2008 a Latin American Economic Competitiveness Forum in Colombia. OSI will act as an associated organization and will forward deliberations of its 2008 Caribbean forums, especially Cartagena Forum on Economic Security. Discussions have thus also begun on informal contacts between OSI and Latin American countries outside Wider Caribbean region.

In view of the major focus of overall OSI activities in the next 12 months in the Wider Caribbean and Latin American regions,  former Honorary Chairman of OSI Wider Caribbean and Latin America, Senator Clopatofsky has asked the then OSI President, Dr. Sebek, to relocate to Colombia from July 2007 until the completion of the series of Caribbean Forums and Latin American competitiveness Forum in 2008. Dr. Sebek and the Board of Directors have agreed to this invitation. Dr. Sebek will work closely with, OSI Honorary Chairman for Wider Caribbean and Latin America, Senator Clopatofsky,  OSI adviser on Ibero-American affairs, as well as OSI supporters in Colombian Congress and Government departments, NGOs and academia, but especially private sector in the region and in external partner countries.
Prior to his departure to Bogota, Dr Sebek and Ms Fahmy Hudome, a Director of OSI, briefed Congressman Ortiz at a meeting held on 18th July in the US Congress. Coordination of work between the OSI Hon. US Congressional Advisory Board and the OSI Forums in 2008 was the main topic of discussions. Dr. Sebek has now left OSI.