On 29 July 1999, the Centre received a request for arbitration dated 22 July 1999 (the request) from Mihaly International Corporation (Mihaly USA or the Claimant), a company established under the laws of the United States of America, against the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka (Sri Lanka or the Respondent). The request invoked the provisions of the 20 September 1991 Treaty between the United States of America and Sri Lanka concerning Encouragement and Reciprocal Protection of Investment (the US-Sri Lanka BIT). The request was submitted under the Convention on the Settlement of Investment Disputes between States and Nationals of Other States (the ICSID Convention). Both Sri Lanka and the United States of America are Contracting States to the ICSID Convention.