Ecuador and Qatar prepared cooperation agenda

Ecuadornews:

Representatives of the Government and Qatari businessmen expressed their interest to invest in projects such as the Manabí and Llurimagua Refinery. Ecuador exposed Qatar companies to participate in investment projects in the country in sectors such as industry, mining and energy. 

The Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment, Pablo Campana, presented a portfolio of projects totaling $ 24,000 million, over a period of five years, which include projects such as the Manabí Refinery, which the Government will tender next May; and the mining project of Llurimagua, two investments in which Qatar has shown “interest”, according to the official.

The Llurimagua deposit is developed by Chilean mining company Codelco, which owns 49%, and by the Ecuadorian public company Enami, which seeks to sell its majority stake. On Sunday, on his first day in Doha, Campana was received by his counterpart, Ahmed bin Yasim al Zani, and by the executive director of Qatar Airways airline, Akbar al Baker.

The Ecuadorian representative said that Qatar is “interested in investing in a dollarized country” and explained that next March there will be a presentation dedicated to the Qatari companies interested in upcoming tenders.

Also, Campana said he proposed to Qatar Airways to open a passenger line between Doha and Quito. To study this possibility, emissaries of the company will visit Ecuador in June.

In the next two weeks, Ecuador will submit a draft of a bilateral investment treaty to Qatar for review and, additionally, both countries will establish a joint economic cooperation commission. According to Campana, Qatar “is very interested” in importing Ecuadorian products through the new Hamad port, both for the local market and for others in the region. After finishing his visit to Doha, the Ecuadorian minister traveled to Dubai, where he will participate in the Global Business Forum of Latin America between today and tomorrow.

Delegation 

This year visits continue 

For a closer approach between the private sectors of both countries, it is expected that in the last week of April a delegation of Ecuadorian businessmen will travel to Doha. In June the Qatari businessmen will return the visit to Quito.

24 billion dollars is the sum of the investment portfolio that Ecuador presented in Qatar.

Encounters with companies 

Campana also met with Qatar Mining, Qatar Petroleum and with the Minister of Energy of that country. (I)

Source: https://www.eltelegrafo.com.ec/noticias/economia/4/ecuador-y-catar-alistan-agenda-de-cooperacion