Gustavo Cisneros’ Speech at the ARAB-LATINOAMERICAN Forum in Abu Dhabi, where he participated as moderator in the panel “Assessing the business climate in both regions and existing and potential channels for interregional trade relationship”. Abu Dhabi, December 2012.

1. GUSTAVO CISNEROS’S SPEECH
ARAB-LATINOAMERICAN FORUM
TH
DECEMBER 15 , 2012
Good afternoon.
It is a great pleasure to be in Abu Dhabi for the inaugural Arab Latin America Forum. I would like to thank
President Leonel Fernandez for his vision. Although commercial relations between Latin America and the
Arab countries have grown over the last few years, there is still great potential on which to
capitalize. Indeed, this gathering is necessary and timely.
I would also like to thank our host, His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of
Higher Education and Scientific Research, who together with President Fernandez, has made a giant
leap in opening this important debate.
I would like to welcome our panelists, Mohammad Halaikah, former Deputy Prime Minister for Economic
Affairs in Jordan, and Osvaldo Rosales, Director of the Economic Commission for Latin America
(CEPAL). Both of them will certainly enrich our discussion, in which we will assess the business climate
in the Arab world and in Latin America.
Before we begin, I would like to make a few points. As our first declaration will dictate, we are here to
identify the basis of, and nature of, an enhanced Arab - Latin American partnership across numerous
specific sectors and in areas of mutual benefit and concern. Our discussions will focus on three main
objectives:
1. Economic and commercial opportunities
2. strengthening educational, academic, scientific and cultural ties, and
3. building a mutual vision on global issues.
These are seminal goals. This particular panel is an opportunity for us to analyze the current trade
climate governing our regions. We can assess growth tendencies, legal framework and conditions
required to make the most of our similarities by consolidating our trade relations.
It is clear that the Arab countries and Latin America have common goals and values. Within our
countries, great diversity in economic, political and legal realities co-exist. Therefore, it is necessary to
properly analyze these environments in order to fully maximize our trade relations.
The petrochemical, logistics, mining and agricultural sectors are huge areas of opportunity for our
regions. We have the capacity, the capital and the know-how needed to work in these areas and boost
inter-regional trade.
In the last couple of decades, Latin America has experienced a profound transformation which has
converted the region in one of the most attractive destinations for investment. The region underwent
economic reforms that lead the way 1) towards commercial and financial liberalization, 2) towards the
privatization of state enterprises, mainly in the basic public services sector, and 3) towards allowing
private capital greater access to the natural resources sector, principally in mining.

2. In order to highlight the many attributes of the Latin American region, I would like to share with you the
following video:
[ROLL VIDEO]
Indeed, Latin America is a land of opportunity.
We should foster cooperation and free trade agreements between the regions, and I would like to
propose that Abu Dhabi become a groundbreaker in this respect. Examples of transnational commercial
treaties already exist. In 2011, Argentina and Kuwait signed an agreement marking Argentina as a
“strategic destination” for Kuwait’s investment funds. Egypt too signed agreements with the member
countries of Mercosur in 2010. However, these treaties have not been exploited to their full potential, and
we need to encourage the integration of our regions by supporting more accords.
I would like to open this discussion by proposing the following questions:
1) What is the predominating trade climate in the Arab World? Has the political situation of various
countries in the region over the last few years affected the trade climate?
2) What is the trade climate in Latin American? What are the main areas of opportunity in the region
with regards to foreign trade and logistics?
3) What are the main trade/logistics advantages that our regions can offer each other?
4) Which areas do we need to work on in order to stimulate trade between the two regions?
5) How can Latin America capitalize on the significant potential that is evident in import levels of
agricultural, machinery and pharmaceutical products from Arab countries?
6) And finally, what do we need to do to adequately capitalized on the existing trade agreements
between the Arab world and Latin America?
This promises to be an interesting exchange. Thank you.