March 24, 2006
Venezuela plans continental trade fair

(EFE, published by The Daily Journal) - "Venezuela is inviting firms from 10 other South American countries to take part in a trade fair set for May in this capital, the government said.

The minister of integration and foreign trade, Gustavo Márquez, said in a communiqué that he hopes to see more than 900 companies from Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, Chile, Suriname, Guyana and Venezuela take part in the May 16-19 event.

The trade fair is aimed at 'promoting the concept of economic complementarity and the search for common interests, as well as strategic alliances,' the statement said. 'Exporters and importers will be able to do business under the orientation of selective substitution of imports from third (non-South American) countries,' Márquez said. 'This is a different element from what we have done in recent times.'

The fair will be open to firms of all sizes, whether or not they are currently involved in foreign trade, and even to cooperatives, the communiqué said, adding that participants will have the chance to join what the minister called 'international enterprises of cooperative production.'

Also planned are sessions on investment and regional integration projects, and a forum where business people can exchange views with officials about matters of mutual interest.

'We must integrate with each other to make the great leap forward that allows us to create a productive and diversified economy in which we can truly generate prosperity for everyone, since the ultimate goal is confronting poverty and social exclusion,' Márquez said.

Venezuela's leftist president, Hugo Chávez, is an enthusiastic advocate of Latin American integration".