PM to attend key investment conference
Malta Independent
PM to attend key investment conference
24 June 2007
Fresh from the European Council where Malta was admitted, along with Cyprus, to the eurozone, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi is due to head a delegation and be one of the principal guests at a high level investment conference that is being held in La Baule, France, this week.
The second Euromed Investment Conference will precede the World Investment Conference on 27 June in La Baule on the theme: “Becoming more attractive and competitive together”.
Euromed will bring together prime ministers and ministers in charge of investment in the main Euro-Mediterranean countries.
This large-scale initiative aims to demonstrate the win-win strategy for partnership between Europe and countries around the Mediterranean and its impact on the increased attractiveness and competitiveness of the entire Euro-Mediterranean region.
The Euromed Investment Conference, an official statement said, will welcome numerous official delegations, among them that from Morocco, led by Driss Jettou, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Morocco; that from Malta, chaired by Lawrence Gonzi, Prime Minister of Malta, and those from Tunisia and France.
Jean-Pierre Jouyet, French Secretary of State for European affairs, Jean-Pierre Raffarin, former French Prime Minister, Jean-Michel Severino, managing director of the French Development Agency will be among those who will represent France.
On the initiative of Philippe Carli, president of Siemens France, over 40 investors from Europe and the Mediterranean area, including large businesses, SMEs and venture-capital specialists, will meet to review opportunities in the region.
“The second Euromed Investment Conference is a platform for meetings and cooperation organised at the opening of the World Investment Conference, bringing together business and political players from the north and south of the Mediterranean to explore ways to make this extended region more attractive for international investment,” said Pierre Guenant, president of the World Investment Conference
The World Investment Conference at La Baule, initiated by France with the support of the European Commission, has, for the past five years, brought together more than 700 high-level business and political leaders each year, with the aim of reinforcing the attractiveness of Europe and its regions.
This year, the World Investment Conference features the first California Technology Showcase. This unique initiative aims to foster best practices and establish closer transatlantic cooperation among businesses, research centres, universities and regions, thus supporting the new dynamics driving innovation. The Californian delegation is expected to be led by Arnold Schwarzenegger, Governor of California, and include officials in charge of transportation, technology and environmental policies.
