His Excellency Mr. Rodrigo Yáñez, Deputy Minister of International Economic Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Chile, affirmed that his country is keen to strengthen economic relations with the State of Qatar.
His Excellency said, in a special statement to the Qatar News Agency, Qena, that his current visit to Doha comes within the framework of the importance that the Chilean government attaches to strengthening economic relations with the State of Qatar and the rest of the Gulf countries, given the great potential to enhance trade and investment exchange between Chile and the Gulf region.
He explained that Chile has an extensive network of trade agreements, including 30 agreements with more than 65 economies, with access to more than 88 percent of global GDP.
His Excellency noted that his talks with officials in the State of Qatar shed light on the friendly relations that bind the two countries, and the large space that exists for establishing public and private alliances that would soon boost bilateral trade between them.
He added, “The talks also dealt with the opportunities available in the field of economic integration and the role that Chile can play as an important supplier of food in the world, within the food security strategy implemented by the State of Qatar, as well as reviewing investment opportunities in the economically prosperous Republic of Chile full of natural resources.” In this context, he indicated that his country, which has a population of 19 million, is the largest producer and exporter of copper in the world, and an important exporter of products such as salmon, cherries, cellulose, grapes, fresh berries, and lithium.
His Excellency Mr. Yáñez stated that the volume of trade exchange between Chile and Qatar amounted to only 9 million dollars last year, most of which came from Chilean exports to Qatar, highlighting the huge potential of joint ventures.
In the investment area, he said, Qatar Airways owns 10 percent of LATAM, the main airline in Chile.
He pointed out that he signed – before coming to Doha – in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, a memorandum of understanding with the General Secretariat of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf … stressing that this memorandum will lay the foundations for closer cooperation in the field of trade and investment between the two sides, and will allow the use of Chile as a gateway to Latin America. At the same time.
