ST. PETERSBURG -- Government lobbying and a charity ball top the list of activities planned by the St. Petersburg International Business Association, or SPIBA, formed by a merger of the city's two largest business groups aimed at foreign companies.


"Now there will be one voice for foreign investors and foreign businesses here in the city," said Michelle Schorr, former chairman of the American International Business Association, or AIBA, which recently merged with the International Executive Business Club, or IEBC.


Both organizations had existed side-by-side for several years with overlapping memberships and goals that often ran parallel. By combining into an association with more than 100 members, leaders hope to create a stronger organization capable of opening communication lines and lobbying key city officials on issues of importance to the foreign business community.


"We think we will have virtually anybody who's anybody in the foreign business community in this association," said Arthur George, former IEBC chairman. "Our organization will represent the foreign business community, so it will be easier to lobby the government."


Issues slated for discussion include city real estate policy, customs regulations and federal tax policies.


Association organizers also hope to increase the number of seminars and educational programs for members of the foreign business community.


The smaller, more Russian-oriented International Small Business Association was not involved in the merger.


Last year, the AIBA rejected an offer from the Moscow-based American Chamber of Commerce to become its local branch -- partly because local companies expressed their inability to pay the proposed membership fees, as well as concern over the role non-American companies would be allowed to play.


The new organization is not focused on any particular foreign community, leaders said. However an anonymous letter sent to the weekly St. Petersburg Press touted the merger as a "significant victory for American business interests over narrow, sectarian European business interests."


Representatives from both the AIBA and IEBC refuted the claims made in the letter.


"If everyone is active, then no one nationality will dominate the organization," George said. "This is a significant step forward."


Nominations for the new executive committee will be accepted at the association's next meeting Jan. 23, with elections to follow in February. "We're hoping our executive committee will be very multinational," Schorr said.


SPIBA will also assume responsibility for the traditional charity masquerade ball first held by AIBA in November 1994. The second ball is scheduled for Feb. 17 at the elegant Anichkov Palace.