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Al-Ahram Weekly 21 - 27 October 1999 Issue No. 452 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 21 - 27 October 1999 Issue No. 452
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Features Profile Travel Living Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Gateways
CHILE inaugurated its first commercial office in Egypt recently. To launch the new office, a cooperation agreement was signed between the Egyptian Export Promotion Centre and Prochile, its Chilean counterpart.
The office and the agreement represent efforts by both countries to boost their economic and commercial relations. The two sides are bringing their entrepreneurs together, encouraging them to set up joint ventures as well as organising trade missions and exhibitions.
Hector Casanueva, director of Prochile, headed the high level commercial delegation which was in Egypt for the inauguration of the commercial office. He said that Chile has a lot to offer Egypt. "We would like to be your special partner in Latin America." Chile could be Egypt's gateway to Mercosur (the Spanish acronym for the South American Common Market), Casanueva pointed out.
With this Chilean offer on the table, Casanueva said, "It is important for us to know what Egypt has to offer." In his statement, Casanueva indirectly alluded to the weak spot in the cooperation pact: one of the main reasons why trade relations between Egypt and Chile are not as strong as they could be is because businessmen from both countries lack knowledge of each other's needs and markets.
Ambassador Sallama Shaker, Egypt's assistant minister of foreign affairs for the Americas, said during a meeting with Casanueva that just as Chile is Egypt's portal to Latin America, Egypt could be Chile's entry ticket to the Arab world, the Middle East and Africa.
She announced that in February there will be a workshop at which investors from Egypt and Latin America will exchange information on how to do business in Egypt and in the various Latin American countries.
