Business Seminars on LAC counties were held in Japan and Korea

   The IDB Office in Asia hosted a Business Seminars on the IDB and Latin America on February 18 th and 29 th in Japan and Korea, respectively.

   At the seminar in Japan, after Mr. Shikado, Representative of the Office in Asia , explained the gist of the seminar, Mr. Kuramoto, Director General to Latin America and the Caribbean Department of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), described JICA's activities and its direction in LAC region including measures against the disparity, poverty and climate change. During the presentation, he elaborated on the “Cool Earth Partnership”(Financial Mechanism to assist developing countries to address climate change), which drew attention from the participants. Mr. Yoon, Business Research and Information Consultant of the IDB Office in Asia, introduced the expanding role of the IDB group in LAC region.

   The seminar was attended by many participants from the government, financial institutions, trading companies, private think tanks, consulting firms and NGOs. The Q&A session centered on Japanese supportive programs toward LAC as well as on environmental issues including global warming.

   On February 29 th , a business seminar under the theme of “Latin America - The land with limitless business opportunities ” was held in Seoul, Korea. Mr. Y.B Park, Superintendent of the Korean Trade Association and Mr. Shikado made welcome remarks. Then, Mr. B.D Sohn, Director of Ministry of Finance and Economy of Republic of Korea made presentation on the cooperation between Korea and the IDB, followed by the presentation of Mr. Y.K Kim, Senior Deputy Director of the Export-Import Bank of Korea, who explained the Korea's three years anniversary project and the outlook after becoming a member of the IDB.

   Mr. Jose Antonio Peral, Commercial counselor of Embassy of Mexico to Korea, presented the trade and investment environment and the Mexico's relation with the IDB. Dr. K.S Kwon from Korea Institute for International Economic Policy explained the current situation and challenges that Korean small and medium-sized enterprises face when they are going into LAC. In addition, Dr. Y Kwon, head of International Development Cooperation Team from the KIEP, outlined Korea's ODA. Around 140 participants including those from LAC embassies to Korea attended the seminar.

IDB Business Seminar in Seoul

A Seminar on zdconomic Policy and Business Environment in Uruguay

   On February 21 st , the IDB Office in Asia held a seminar on “Economic Policy and Business Environment in Uruguay on the occasion of the visit by Mr. Mario Bergara, Undersecretary of Economy and Finance, Republic of Uruguay, and Mr. Carlos Steneli, Director-General of Government Bond Department. After Mr. Shikado made a welcoming remarks and Ambassador of Embassy of Uruguay, Ms. Ana Maria Estevez, addressed the opening of the seminar, Mr. Bergara delivered the speech on the country's economic policy that aims to achieve the sustainable economic growth. He especially highlighted the country's preferential treatment to trade investment, stability in the fiscal and financial field, and the structural reform in the future.

A Seminar on Economic Policy and Business Environment in Uruguay

Visit of the President of the Republic of Peru, H.E. Mr. Alan Garcia Perez

The Peruvian president Alan Garcia lead a group of Peruvian businessmen during a landmark visit to Japan, the first from a Peruvian President in nine years. President Garcia delivered a keynote speech during an investment promotion seminar held in Tokyo. zoeru trusts Japan and the Japanese. Sufficient proof is that it is the only country in the world that choose a Japanese descendant to be its president. Mr. Garcia said at the onset of his presentation. zoeru was the first country from South America to establish diplomatic relations with Japan in 1873 and welcomed Japanese immigration. Today Peru hosts more than 90,000 nationals of Japanese descent while approximately 60,000 Peruvians reside in Japan. Peru offers a wealth of business opportunities to foreign investors in the areas of mining, infrastructure development, energy, fisheries and aquaculture, forestry, textiles, tourism among other. He added wondering for the reason that there is only US$250 million of Japanese investment when the potential for investment is many times that figure. He cautioned the more than 300 Japanese business representatives at the seminar that opportunities are available now, and that should action not be taken in the very near future they risk loosing them to international competitors. Mr. Garcia also highlighted Peru's current stable economic situation and future growth prospects. This assertion was later backed by a wealth of data presented by Peruvian ministers present at the seminar. Japanese business representatives announced their intention of pursuing an investment treaty with Peru. The IDB office in Asia supported the realization of the event.

Press Coverage on the visit of the Peruvian President

Cooperation to the workshop, APEC and Latin America hosted by the APEC Study Center of the University of Tsukuba

The APEC Study Center of the University of Tsukuba, under the leadership of Professor Neatro Saavedra-Rivano, organized a workshop on APEC and Latin America on March 21st. Mr. Shikado attended to deliver a speech on history of APEC and the expected role in Latin America. The workshop was organized in line with the official visit made by Peruvian President Garcia on March 17th for the first time in nine years as well as APEC Summit Meeting held this November hosted by Peru. The participants who actively exchanged their views included Ambassador of Peru, Mr. Palma, Ambassador of Ecuador Mr. Ponce, officials from Embassy of Mexico and Chile which both are member countries of APEC, Professor Cicerchia of Universidad de Buenos Aires (currently a visiting fellow at University of Tsukuba), Mr. Luis Tsuboyama, Director of the APEC Secretariat based in Singapore and Mr. Takeo Shikado(IDB office in Japan). The participants came up with the importance of communication with the business during the workshop. In response to this, APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) currently undertakes study works with various study groups in order to submit ABAC proposals for the coming APEC Summit. The IDB cooperate with the studies in such area as preventive measures against climate change and the expansion of microfinance.

Workshop on APEC and Latin America at the Tsukuba University

The IDB Office in Asia welcomes the new Ambassadors to Japan.

H.E. Mr. Javier PONCE Leiva Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Ecuador to Japan

H.E. Mr. Ponce has been appointed the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ecuador to Japan in February 2008.

He was born on February 12, 1954 in Le Havre, France.

He studied in politic and Social Science at the University of Catholic in Quito, Ecuador. And he acquired a Diploma specialized in International Economy, Foreign Service Program at the University of Oxford in England, U.K., and received Master degree in Public Administration at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard Kennedy School.

Before he came to Japan, he served as Coordinator of Foreign Politic, Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ecuador and General Director of the Diplomatic Academy. Besides these distinguished career, he was also Foreign Affairs Advisor to the President of the National Congress, Advisor to the Vice President of Ecuador and Advisor to the Secretary of Planning and to the Ministry of Labor.

He also participated in the various important meetings such as UNO, CAN, SELA UNESCO, PNUD representing the Republic of Ecuador.

H.E. Mr. Ponce is fluent in Spanish, French, English, Portuguese and Italian.

LAC Ambassador in Japan

H.E. Mr. Hugo Ernesto Palma Valderrama

The Power and the Glory” by Graham Greene

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Continuing decline of the US dollar.

Staff at Inter-American Development Bank

Abe Nobuhisa

Easter Island in Chile.
Photo by Mr. Abe

Because this is the only place I have ever stepped in in the Latin America and I visited here on the occasion of the honeymoon. I visited zqano Rarakuzžwhere you can see hundreds of statues in stages of construction half-buried under the ground, and also zsongarikizª a site of 15 statutes with the height of about 20 meter standing in line. There are plenty to see in the Island. I became friends with the Moai at the time when I left the Island.