Fedecámaras and its Colombian counterpart Fenalco met for two days in Caracas to study projects and investments in strategic sectors. Delcy Rodríguez, present at the closing event, reiterated the proposal for a Special Economic Zone on the border with Colombia. The next business meeting between both nations will be held on December 16 in Cartagena
Caracas received for two days the first Exploratory and Commercial Mission organized by the Federation of Traders of Colombia (Fenalco), with the institutional support of Fedecámaras. The objective of the Mission was to initiate rapprochements that promote binational trade, carrying out projects and investments in strategic sectors, the creation of productive chains and in general, the revitalization of the economy of both nations, reciprocity and commercial balance. More than 30 businessmen from the neighboring country and their Venezuelan peers participated.
The closing ceremony of this first approach, had the participation of Delcy Rodríguez, vice president of the administration of Nicolás Maduro; the president of Fenalco, Jaime Alberto Cabal; and the president of Fedecámaras, Carlos Fernández Gallardo, indicated the union in a press release.
Rodríguez classified the activity as “historic”, where the business community of Colombia and Venezuela “seek common paths and this thanks to the resumption of relations between the Government of Colombia and the Government of Venezuela. There is no other way than understanding between brother nations.
The vice president informed that they work with Minister Germán Umaña in the direction of the revision of the Trade Agreement 28, and that the spirit that animates it should be resumed, which is a spirit of complementarity, of growth for both countries and “based on that spirit, sit down and talk.”
He recognized the work of the productive sectors of the country by stating that the sanctions imposed have impacted the economic activity of Venezuela.
During his closing message for the event and in the presence of Colombian businessmen, Rodríguez mentioned the paradigm shift, the rentier paradigm, to have a positive impact on food production.
“We are looking for very positive impacts on the growth of the production of meat, milk, sugar, sardines, legumes. We are producing more food for Venezuela, but also for export.” “We come
recovering markets for our products,” he said.
The vice president highlighted that there is certainly an imbalance in the Colombia-Venezuela relationship. «Our country and Colombia have 11,452 tariff and customs codes in force, where a favorable imbalance is shown for the neighboring country, Colombia. We have to go without a doubt to a balance, and the governments are working on that with a very good spirit”.
Also referred to the creation of a Binational Special Economic Zone on the border, in the North of Santander and the state of Táchira, where it is possible to have a common area, binational, with special conditions to increase the necessary production for our countries.
He assured that both governments are working for the benefit of the productive sectors of both Colombia and Venezuela and we only need a little coordination and reorganization so that the commercial relationship is balanced.
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Establish companies in each country
Jaime Alberto Cabal, president of Fenalco stated -for his part- that “expectations were widely exceeded, there was a path forward to carry out more commercial activities”. He reiterated that “we are sister nations, complementary nations, we have a historical relationship.”
He assured that he was convinced that with the passage of time the commercial relationship can be reconstructed and progress can be made gradually.
“We are very eager for the two governments to speed up the agreements they are working on and for the rules of the game to be clear in logistical, legal, and financial matters, so that this relationship flows much more and can advance to new opportunities, new developments and finally to new businesses,” Cabal said.
He also indicated that businessmen from New Granada they hope to recover the balance of 1,200 million dollars, but “the fluidity of financial and logistical support” must be ensured to achieve this goal.
Cabal argued that when talking about trade relations, “you should not only think about exporting or importing, you also have to think about returning to the establishment of Colombian companies in Venezuela and Venezuelan companies in Colombia” under corporate mechanisms.
«It is not only exporting and importing, it is also investing, it is having a presence, is to do two-way business and that is what we are looking for with Fedecámaras and Fenalco, so that we have that opportunity to seek business between the two countries,” he emphasized.
Carlos Fernández Gallardo, president of fedecámaras, informed that, in this first Exploratory Mission, specific alliances and investment possibilities were achieved. He assured that “we have to continue deepening, there are still many obstacles, many barriers, that we have to continue working on and that the objective is to achieve a balanced, long-term relationship that not only includes trade, imports, exports, but also impressions and alliances to look for other markets”.
“We hope that Colombia, which has been a strategic ally for years and which in recent years has been Venezuela’s main trading partner, gives us preference, the advantages it gives to other countries, other neighbors, so that we can strengthen this relationship”, added Fernández. Bet that, in the years to come, we will have a much greater exchange than we have had, also a deepening of academic, cultural and scientific exchange.
The next business meeting between both nations will be held on December 16 in Cartagena, Colombia.
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