The Canary Islands will host the General Assembly of the Ibero-American Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Services (AICO) in October of next year, bringing together companies and chamber organizations from 23 Ibero-American countries.
The decision for Gran Canaria to host this meeting was ratified at the Assembly held this week in Argentina, attended by the Deputy Minister of Economy and Internationalization of the Government of the Canary Islands, Gustavo González de Vega, and representatives of the four chambers of commerce of the archipelago. Among them, the president of the Chamber of Commerce of Lanzarote and La Graciosa, José Valle.
Valle, who also chairs the bilateral commission with Africa for AICO, highlighted the "opportunity" for the Canary Islands to host this Assembly to "strengthen relations with Latin American countries, which are our natural market due to our shared language and history. This event will be key to boosting our international projection."
The Deputy Minister emphasized that obtaining the venue for the celebration of this meeting next year places the Canary Islands at the "epicenter of trade relations between America, Europe, and Africa, and positions us as a tricontinental business platform." González de Vega noted that this election demonstrates the "Government's commitment to positioning the archipelago as a gateway for all Ibero-American companies to Europe and Africa."
For his part, the president of the Chamber of Commerce of Gran Canaria and a member of the AICO board, Luis Padrón, agreed that the celebration of the next General Assembly in Gran Canaria is "an unbeatable opportunity for the projection of the Canary Islands as a prominent business center, capable of attracting business initiatives for the economic future of the region." He also emphasized that "this important event will highlight the capacity of the Canary Islands to act as a strategic link between Europe, Africa, and America."
The president of the Chamber of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Santiago Sesé, stated that the event "will contribute to highlighting the role played by our chambers as essential instruments of support for the business fabric of the Islands, a fabric marked by the fragmentation of the territory, ultra-peripherality, and the fact that it is made up of 98% SMEs."
The president of the Chamber of Commerce of Fuerteventura, Juan Jesús Rodríguez Marichal, emphasized "the possibilities of expansion that this event will offer to companies and the Canarian economy, facilitating connections with Ibero-American markets."
Ibero-American Association of Chambers of Commerce (AICO)
AICO is the Ibero-American Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Services, a private, international, non-profit entity, which includes the most representative Chambers of Commerce of 23 countries Ibero-American corporations, related corporations and companies. The decision to create the Association was taken during the first meeting of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Ibero-American Associations that was held in Mexico City in 1974 and its formal constitution took place in Madrid, in 1975.
AICO has worked tirelessly to strengthen business and trade ties in the region, facilitating economic development and investment. The main objective of this Association is to promote sustainable economic growth and regional integration through international trade.
The association seeks to promote a favorable business environment, facilitate the exchange of information and best practices, and serve as a platform for collaboration between companies and government agencies.
