COA Brings Together Members and Chilean Officials in Santiago and Washington

That same evening, COA's Washington office hosted a welcome reception for the new Chilean Ambassador to the U.S. Andrés Ergas-Heymann.

At the University Club of Washington, DC, COA members and COA Vice President Kevin Sullivan joined Chilean and regional leaders for conversations on current developments in the South American country, relations between the United States and the region, and opportunities for engagement. The reception was attended by guests representing the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. Department of State, in addition to the ambassadors of Peru, Brazil, and Colombia to the United States.

"At the Council of the Americas we look forward to working very closely with Ambassador Ergas-Heymann and his colleagues, as well as their U.S. government counterparts, to highlight and facilitate opportunities for investment in this new era for Chile," said Sullivan at the reception. "Council members see Chile as a place where they can confidently make long-term strategic investments, support the country's economic development, and achieve very attractive rates of return."

On June 17, in Santiago, COA hosted a private breakfast for members with Chile's Daniel Mas Valdés, minister of economy, development, and tourism and minister of mining.

Mas Valdés discussed Chile's economic outlook, policy priorities, and investment opportunities, as well as the country's competitiveness, growth prospects, and key sectors driving development.

Later that day, Segal met with Chile's Minister of Foreign Affairs Francisco Pérez Mackenna and Undersecretary of International Economic Relations Paula Estévez at the Foreign Affairs Ministry headquarters building in Santiago. Discussion in the private meeting included talk about U.S.–Chile relations and areas for continued collaboration between the public and private sectors. Mackenna said that fostering economic growth is a priority for Chile's foreign policy and that the country is actively seeking opportunities that advance that goal.

At night, COA hosted a private dinner for its members and Chilean Minister of Finance Jorge Quiroz at The Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Santiago. The discussion centered on Chile’s economic outlook, investment and trade opportunities, fiscal and financial policy priorities, and ways to strengthen collaboration between the country and the international business community.

On June 18, COA members and Segal met with Louis de Grange, minister of transport and telecommunications and minister of public works, in Santiago. They discussed Chile’s infrastructure and connectivity priorities, transportation and logistics developments, and opportunities for public-private collaboration to support economic growth and competitiveness.

The meetings concluded with a lunch for COA members with U.S. Ambassador to Chile Brandon Judd at The Ritz-Carlton in Santiago. During the lunch, participants discussed the state of U.S.–Chile relations, regional political and economic developments, and the broader business and investment climate in the region.