First Business and Andean Cities Meeting

An event to present and promote the First Business and Andean Cities Meeting was held today in CAF headquarters in Caracas. The meeting will take place next July 25 and 26 in Cartagena, Colombia.

The event is expected to bring together 500 business leaders involved in exporting, importing and investments from the five countries of the Andean Community of Nations (CAN): Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela.

The objective of the event – in which ministers of Industry and Foreign Trade and several mayors will also participate – is to strengthen commercial relations and promote exports and investments, as well as direct identification of business opportunities at level of companies and cities.

CAF President & CEO Enrique García told the representatives of the Venezuelan business sector who attended the launch of the forum that it "is a new and pragmatic cooperation mechanism between the Andean countries, especially among their leading actors," which will define strategies to eliminate factors adverse to trade and investment flows, and make known the competitive advantages at city level.

He added that putting mayors, representatives of chamber of commerce, and businessmen and women together at the same working table is an innovative element in this type of event, which is sure to lead to coordinated and effective participation by the leaders of the Andean integration process, open debate on common problems and result in solidarity-based solutions.

Colombian ambassador to Venezuela Mario Suárez Melo said his country, as host of the event, is actively working on its organization and promotion. This will not be just one more forum at top level but will bring together the great mass of business people who are interested in benefiting from the progress made by the Andean integration scheme, especially in the last year.