The St. Maarten Chamber of Commerce & Industry will be represented by its Executive Director, Mr. Claret Connor at the 18th Conference of Free Zones of the Americas 2014, which will be organized by the Asociación de Usuarios de la Zona Libre de Colón (AU) and the Asociación de Zonas Francas de las Américas (AZFA), which will take place from November 13-14, 2014, in Panama City. The conference is the largest of its kind and is expecting the attendance of over 400 delegates from Latin and North America as well as the Caribbean Region.
The conference’s main objective is to promote trade as well as to strengthen economic and foreign investment ties. The conference will also aim to establish industrial and business opportunities between the various free zones. Additionally, the hosts will seek to broaden active participation and continuous collaboration amongst the public/private sector representatives, with Panama at the helm. Topics will range from issues such as free zones’ logistics, achievements, revisiting legislation with regard to financing and the expansion of the Panama Canal. Hence, cooperation, economic growth and sustainable partnerships will be emphasized throughout the event.
Mr. Connor’s presentation is titled “Building on St. Maarten and Panama’s Natural Partnership in Economic Development for the Caribbean” with a key focus on focus on “Building Economic Channels between Panama, St. Maarten and the Caribbean Region in general. Executive Director, Claret Connor stated that St. Maarten is in an ideal position to embrace economic diplomacy, a matter he intends to underscore during his presentation. He added that “our economic engagement is essential to the trade and investments agenda with countries such as Panama in particular, can only result in stronger economic growth and greater prosperity for St. Maarten’s strategic economic development”.