18:15 | Lima, Jan. 20 (ANDINA).
Peru’s president, Alan Garcia, encouraged Spanish businessmen to invest in Peru and the countries of South America, after arriving in Spain.
In his official visit to Spain, Garcia will meet the King Juan Carlos and the Prime Minister.
He said he came to Spain "to look for Christopher Columbus, who left America a long time ago and did not come back, but he expects he will return in the form of a second wave of manufacturing, environmental and cultural investments".
"Peru’s economic stability, legal certainty, fiscal responsibility, natural resources and "the consolidation of an integral democratic system" make Peru an attractive destination for Spanish investments", he added.
Garcia stated Peru has great natural gas reserves, 63 million hectares of jungle and a great mining potential, among other advantages.
The main investment opportunities are in the manufacturing, industrial, environmental and, even, cultural sectors.
"If I were the Spanish minister of Economy I would encourage Spanish businessmen to invest in South America”, he stressed.
Spain was the main investor in Peru in 2007, with an accumulated investment of 3,162 million euros, in telecommunications, financing and electricity.
President Garcia arrived at Barajas airport at 13:45 hours (12:45 GMT) and was greeted by the Ibero-American Secretary of State, Trinidad Jiménez, and the delegate of the Government in Madrid, Soledad Mestre.
Garcia arrived in Spain on a commercial flight along with the ministers of Foreign Affairs, Jose Antonio Garcia Belaunde; Economy, Luis Carranza; Transports and Communications, Verónica Zavala; and Energy and Mines, Juan Valdivia.
His visit aims to attract to Peru a second wave of Spanish investments, to strengthen the economy and the relations with Spain and Europe.
Tomorrow at 9:00 hours, President Garcia will hold a meeting with Spanish businessmen, and the chairman of the CEOE, Gerardo Diaz Ferrer, to discuss investment opportunities in Peru.
At 11:15 hours, Alan Garcia will participate in a ceremony in the City council of Madrid.
At 13:00 hours, he will meet the king Juan Carlos in the Palace of the Zarzuela, and at 13:40 he will meet the Prime minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, at the Palace of Moncloa.
(END) GCO/LVT
Published: 1/20/2008