President of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro called on Qatari businessmen to invest in his country and to enjoy the benefits offered by his government to investors.
During a meeting with members of the Qatari Businessmen Association, Maduro reviewed opportunities for tourism and investment cooperation between the two countries, pointing to the need to closely identify potential investment opportunities in Venezuela.
He also praised the economic prosperity that Qatar is experiencing.
Maduro said that Venezuela enjoys many attractive advantages for investment in which it needs the support of Qatar.
He said there are 18 national development ‘engines’ in Venezuela, including agriculture, industry, gas and petroleum, tourism and communications, among others.
Maduro said that his government has developed strategies to promote these ‘engines’ and push production forward, and is working on developing an advanced legal framework to meet potential challenges.
Sheikh Nawaf bin Nasser Al-Thani, member of the Associations Board of Directors, stressed the importance of the relations between Qatar and Venezuela, which began in the 1970s.
He spoke on the importance of the visit of the Venezuelan President in strengthening cooperation between the two countries, and working on revitalizing economic and trade relations. He also indicated the interest of Qatari businessmen to learn about the investment opportunities available in Venezuela.
The members of the association stressed on Qatar’s keenness to develop its relations with all countries.
The two sides discussed the current economic situation and both the countries orientation towards achieving self-sufficiency in various vital sectors.
They also discussed the possibility of partnership in light of the investment incentives provided by Qatar to foreign investors, as well as what Venezuela is working on to attract investors.
Maduro said that a law on free economic zones will be issued in the coming days, and indicated that the expected growth rates for the next year may range between 10 and 15 percent.