The Republic of Guatemala Energy • Manufacturing • Agriculture • Logistics
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
OFFICIAL REPORT THE REPUBLIC OF GUATEMALA ENERGY • MANUFACTURING • AGRICULTURE • LOGISTICS Driving regional integration in Central America and the Caribbean PUBLISHED TO MARK GUATEMALA’S PRO TEMPORE PRESIDENCY OF THE CENTRAL AMERICAN INTEGRATION SYSTEM OFFICIAL REPORT THE REPUBLIC OF GUATEMALA ENERGY • MANUFACTURING • AGRICULTURE • LOGISTICS Driving regional integration in Central America and the Caribbean PUBLISHED TO MARK GUATEMALA’S PRO TEMPORE PRESIDENCY OF THE CENTRAL AMERICAN INTEGRATION SYSTEM Published by FIRST, 99-101 Victory House, London W1B 4EZ Tel: +44 20 7440 3500 Fax: +44 20 7440 3544 Email: [email protected] Web: www.firstmagazine.com Chairman and Founder Rupert Goodman DL Chairman, Advisory Council Rt Hon Lord Hurd of Westwell CH CBE PC Chief Operating Officer Eamonn Daly, Executive Publisher and Editor Alastair Harris Non-Executive Directors Timothy Bunting, Hon Alexander Hambro, Consultant, Public Affairs Lord Cormack FSA DL Regional Publisher Declan Hartnett, Head of Special Projects Waqäs Ahmed Designer Jon Mark Deane Marketing Administrator Chris Cammack, PA – Chairman’s Office Hilary Winstanly Research Assistant Anna Vexler, Editorial Consultant Jonathan Gregson, Design Consultant Stanley Glazer, Senior Staff Writer Nicholas Lyne Award Advisory Panel Rt Hon Lord Woolf of Barnes, Rt Hon Lord Howe of Aberavon CH QC, Hon Philip Lader, Lord Plant of Highfield, Chief Emeka Anyaoku GCVO TC CFR, Marilyn Carlson Nelson, Dr Daniel Vasella, Rt Hon Lord Robertson of Port Ellen KT, GCMG, Ratan Tata, Howard Schultz and Philippa Foster Back CBE Special Advisor, China, Lord Powell of Bayswater KCMG, Special Advisor, Russia Sir Andrew Wood GCMG Special Advisor, Latin America Jacques Arnold DL, Special Advisor, Global Issues Professor Victor Bulmer-Thomas CMG OBE FIRST IS COMPOSED OF THE OPINIONS AND IDEAS OF LEADING BUSINESS AND POLITICAL FIGURES. ALL INFORMATION IN THIS PUBLICATION IS VERIFIED TO THE BEST OF THE AUTHORS’ AND PUBLISHERS’ ABILITY, BUT NO RESPONSIBILITY CAN BE ACCEPTED FOR LOSS ARISING FROM DECISIONS BASED ON THIS MATERIAL. WHERE OPINION IS EXPRESSED, IT IS THAT OF THE AUTHORS. © FIRST 2015 COVER PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICKY LÓPEZ BRUNI (HTTP://RICKYLOPEZBRUNI.NET) FIRST NEW AFICHE BLUE OIL ENGLISH.pdf 1 6/22/15 11:21 AM C M Y CM MY CY CMY K GUATEMALA The road to regional integration BY H.E. OTTO FERNANDO PÉREZ MOLINA PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF GUATEMALA hroughout the duration of Guatemala’s further strengthen our sub-regional links is one of Our countries Pro Tempore Presidency (PTP) of the the strategic goals of SICA. Central American Integration System It is important to remember that the Central share a (SICA) our core policies have been American Integration System (SICA) has been directedT towards securing a brighter future for all a political instrument for the integration of common constituent nations of this regional grouping, which the bloc since the 13th of December 1991, will allow us to address postmodern challenges with when the Protocol to the Charter of the vision: To decisive and long-term solutions. Organisation of Central American States The level of commitment of this Presidency has (ODECA) – known as the Tegucigalpa Protocol guarantee and been absolute. This is evident in the measures taken – was concluded, modifying the original text of to continue strengthening political and economic 1951. The resulting efforts will continue until we promote an cooperation between the actors. To continue reach a full integration of the Isthmus and achieve promoting justice, security and development in better living standards for all in this wonderful environment our region, facing all the challenges that current region of this Hemisphere. international conditions bring to bear. The Pro Tempore Presidency will be handed over of peace, We will spare no effort in continuing to hold during the last week of June, in the colonial city of permanent consultations, in particular on those Antigua Guatemala, with the participation of the prosperity, topics that are among the highest priorities for our Presidents of Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, region, such as holistic security across the whole Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama and the Dominican stability and of Central America, integral risk management, Republic, as well as the special participation of the mitigating natural disasters and climate change, Presidents of Mexico and Colombia. cooperation promoting sustainable tourism, and essential political Among the notable highlights of Guatemala’s PTP, coordination in both regional and international fora. the first SICA-Spain Summit was held on the 9th that favours We are all well aware that we need to work jointly of March 2015, with the presence of Spain’s Prime in all areas related to the security of our Member Minister, Mariano Rajoy. Last January, the President the human States, including regional cooperation, and trade of Chile, Michelle Bachelet, visited Guatemala to negotiations with third countries and trading blocs. engage in a dialogue about economic, security and development Recently, our integration process has made huge foreign policy. advances that will assist in its consolidation. In Also during the Guatemalan Presidency, on the of our peoples this way, the face of Central American integration 10th of April we celebrated the SICA-USA meeting, has changed significantly in the last few years. on the fringe of the Summit of the Americas held We can highlight in particular the progress in Panama, with the participation of US President made in the establishment of the customs union Barack Obama. between Guatemala and Honduras. This step will As I mentioned earlier, Guatemala and Honduras undoubtedly bring a faster pace to the dynamics of have initiated the customs union process, which our trade relationship and, we hope, expand rapidly should be concluded by December 1st 2015. Both to include the remaining countries of the region. countries, under their Presidents’ mandate, are It is of the utmost importance to stress that our leading the Central American customs union, countries share the same vision: “To guarantee with the purpose of facilitating trade and the free and promote an environment of peace, prosperity, movement of people. stability and cooperation that favours the human In light of the activities mentioned above, we development of our peoples.” This vision is framed can foresee a promising future, with unlimited within our fundamental principles. These have as opportunities for all the constituents of the their objective that the region should consolidate Central American Integration System. The twenty- as an area of freedom, peace, democracy and first century, without doubt represents the best development. To maintain the harmonious and platform for the integration, peace and security of brotherly relations that characterise us, and to all Central Americans. FIRST In parallel with SICA, the XV Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Tuxtla Mechanism for Dialogue and Cooperation will also be held in Antigua Guatemala on the 26th of June 2015. There, Guatemala will reinstate its commitment to support the dynamics of Mesoamerica on all fronts, as we face the shared risks, roadblocks and challenges under the current global situation. My Government’s commitment springs from the inherent capacity of Mesoamerica to respond to any threats and opportunities that may lie ahead for all the citizens of our region, given our common past, our shared present, and a future wherein we have a chance to build peace with security and harmony. F GUATEMALA Guatemala goes global INTERVIEW WITH CARLOS RAÚL MORALES AND RODRIGO VIELMANN FOREIGN MINISTER AND VICE MINISTER, RESPECTIVELY, REPUBLIC OF GUATEMALA ver the last decade, Guatemala has such as resolving territorial disputes, drug trafficking, assumed an increasingly active role in and migration. driving Central American integration “The main goal of our presidency of SICA was to and promoting the region’s move into the push forward the customs union process,” says Mr Oglobal marketplace, a task that has been given greater Morales: “It has taken more than sixty years since the impetus under the administration of President Otto first regional agreements in Central America were Pérez Molina, since he took office in 2012. Trade signed, and we’ve all been through a lot, but we believe diplomacy has been the hallmark of the Ministry of that now, more than ever, we are finally going to start Foreign Affairs, as Carlos Raúl Morales and Rodrigo making progress in converging our economies.” Vielmann, the Foreign Minister and Deputy Foreign In February this year, integration took a major step CARLOS RAÚL Minister, respectively, explain. forward when Guatemala signed a bilateral agreement MORALES “Increasing trade and investment has been one of the creating a customs union with its neighbour, Minister of Foreign key policy objectives of this government, and one of Honduras, marking the first concrete action in a Affairs, Republic of the strategies to achieve this has been to pursue greater regional development plan known as the Alliance Guatemala regional integration, whereby the nations of Central for the Prosperity of the Northern Triangle (which America work together to solve shared problems and comprises Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador), take advantage of opportunities that benefit all of us,” designed to decrease illegal immigration to the United says Mr Morales. States by improving local economic opportunities. The Guatemala has used its