A delegation of Georgia officials visited Brazil Feb. 21-25 as part of an ongoing effort to lobby on behalf of Atlanta's bid for the headquarters of the Free Trade Area of the Americas. During a visit with Brazilian officials in Brasilia, the country's capital, the delegation was told that the opening of the country's consulate general in Atlanta, originally scheduled for the beginning of 2005, had been postponed until the second quarter.
Carlos Martel, deputy commissioner of the international trade division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, told GlobalAtlanta last week that he is confident the consulate general will open and that the delay is caused only by procedural concerns.
He also said a delegation from Sao Paulo, Brazil, that was to visit Atlanta in mid-March has had to be rescheduled for May or June due to conflicts with Gov. Sonny Perdue's schedule. The Georgia delegation visited with officials of Curitiba, in the Brazilian state of Parana, who, Mr. Martel said, may attend the upcoming Sumaq Summit in Atlanta in May 4-5.
The summit will bring academics from leading Latin American business schools together with representatives of businesses interested in expanding their operations into the region.
In addition, Axel Leblois, executive director of CIFAL Atlanta, lead a wireless internet program in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, that was broadcast as a videoteleconference in Curitiba. CIFAL Atlanta is one of 11 training centers in the world affiliated with the Geneva-based United Nations Institute for Training and Research.
Besides Mr. Martel and Mr. Leblois, the delegation included Jose Ignacio Gonzalez, president of Hemisphere Inc., the organization leading the secretariat effort and Alexander Mejia, vice president of government relations for Hemisphere Inc.
For more information, call Kevin Langston at (404) 962-4006.
