4th Business Meeting of the Pacific Alliance 2017 begins with great success

As part of the 12th Presidential Summit of the Pacific Alliance, the 4th Business Meeting of the bloc began in Cali, Colombia. Its aim is to seek financial and digital integration, as well as strengthening the bloc to negotiate with the Asia Pacific Alliance.

More than 500 top business people from Colombia, Chile, Mexico, Peru and some 52 observer countries of the Alliance will meet during the event, where they will have the opportunity to reflect on their progress as a trade bloc and the coming challenges to grow as a major international player.

The meeting has been organized by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism of Colombia, through ProColombia, with support from the Inter-American Development Bank, the Business Council of the Pacific Alliance and organizations promoting the bloc such as ProChile, ProMéxico and PromPerú.

The Pacific Alliance, created in April 2011 and signed in July 2012, is the eighth largest economy in the world and represents a market of more than 225 million people. Its members account for 55% of foreign trade, 41% of foreign investment and 35% of Latin America's gross domestic product (GDP).

The agenda for the day

The event will have different panels during the day. The first will be on the Pacific Alliance as a platform for closer ties with Asia Pacific, an area that seeks to understand the view and perspective of business people in the region to extend the relationship with Asia Pacific, the most dynamic and fastest growing area in the world.    

The view of the Observer States will also be discussed, with the participation of different trade ministers, such as those from Paraguay, New Zealand, Australia and Canada.

It will also discuss topics such as regional and global digital trends, investment opportunities, financial integration, labor and student mobility, global value chains for the development of the region and opportunities for sustainable tourism. Representatives from Google, Nutresa, Accenture, IDB, Airbus and the World Bank will also be among the featured participants.

Finally, business people will hold talks with the leaders of the countries that make up the Alliance: Michelle Bachelet, President of the Republic of Chile; Juan Manuel Santos, President of the Republic of Colombia; Enrique Peña Nieto, President of the United Mexican States; and Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, President of the Republic of Peru.