06/10/09
South America stands out during a Conference in France
Under the Coordination of WAIPA, South American countries have jointly participated in an International Investment Conference in France.
The investment promotion agencies from the South-American countries presented their first integrated action for the attraction of investment to South America during the World Investment Conference in La Baule, France, from June 3 to 5. The La Baule Conference is held once a year by the /Europe+ Foundation, under a partnership with the European Commission and this year’s theme was “Investing in Global Cities: Opportunities in Adversity”. Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Chile, Colombia and Ecuador were present at the conference and the publication Why South America was launched during a thematic dinner devoted to South America.
“Our publication presents 56 sectors with a greater opportunity for investment, such as agribusiness, aeronautics, infrastructure, food, biofuels, renewable energy and others. Latin America is a fast-growing region. It is, an important center for agriculture and will become the region of the renewable and non-renewable energy. If we combine Venezuela and Brazil we will have a great oil producer worldwide”, said the president of the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA), Alessandro Teixeira, who is also the president of the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil). In the opinion of the WAIPA’s director for South America and president of Prosperar, Beatriz Nofal, the region is highly competitive and attractive.” South America is the key supplier of natural resources to the whole world. It is, the region responsible for almost 80% of the food exports worldwide. Our vision is that the future will be in South America and nowhere else”, she commented.
At that opportunity, Teixeira signed a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in the promotion of investments between Apex-Brasil and the Agence Française pour les Investissements Internationaux, Invest in France (IFA), represented by its chairman, David Appia. He also participated in the debate “Attractiveness of cities across the world: success models and challenges” and handed over to the French minister of Economy, Industry and Labor, Christine Lagarde, the “Waipa Personality Award for the Contribution to the Development of the Global Investment Framework”.
During the Workshop “South America: A key destination for Foreign Investments”, with the participation of representatives from Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Ecuador, Colombia and Uruguay, the WAIPA’s president spoke about the joint action for promoting South America. “We are a special destination for investments since we have a huge market, with a modern economy, with a great diversity at different sectors. Our countries have positive data in terms of economic development, macroeconomic stability, fiscal policies and natural resources. We have been working on an integrated way and from now on you will notice a greater promotion of South America across the world, as well as more South-American companies making significant business operations with foreign companies”, he declared.
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