"Chile and Germany are two countries with many shared aims, both bilaterally and multilaterally

The President of Chile, Ricardo Lagos, declared yesterday that Expo-Germany, a convention to bring together more than 140 businesses with interests in Chile, is much more than a simple business and investment opportunity: "Business will increase, but I also think that there can be an important discussion here about issues relevant to everyone in industry, such as energy efficiency, the incorporation of technology, architectural sustainability, the use of alternative energies and other things," he stated.
Along with Economy Minister Jorge Rodríguez and Presidency Minister Eduardo Dockendorff, the President stated that "Chile and Germany are allies, with many shared aims, both bilaterally and multilaterally. These commonalities are manifested in our commitment to a common vision in terms of foreign affairs, our respect for the fundamental rights of man and our promotion of equal opportunities around the world. We are political, economic and cultural allies, and we want to increase commercial exchange between us."
He thus invited German investors to do business in Chile, and then access other markets from there. "I would also like to say to all investors who come to Chile from Germany that they are welcome here. And beyond that, Chile today serves as an important business platform, from which investments both here and in other Latin American countries can be administered without problems."
Lagos added that it is important "to see Chile not only as the final market for your products, but also as a market from which scientific research, technology and production methods can expand beyond Chile to other parts of the world."
Rising gas prices
On another note, the President once again stated that rises in gas prices next week would not be as high as some media outlets have predicted. "I said that the government knows what it’s doing. So the information that [the media] gave is not correct. Since we took the measures that we had to take, gas prices will only rise by about 24 pesos [per liter] next week," he confirmed.
The Lucchetti case
Finally, the President was asked about the situation of Chilean businessman Andrónico Luksic, who decided not to travel to Peru to give testimony in a case there against the Lucchetti Company, of which he is one of the top executives. Lagos responded that the Foreign Ministry was currently reviewing the case, but he offered assurances that "we have followed this situation very closely, and we are hoping that it comes to a satisfactory conclusion."
Source: www.presidencyofchile.cl
Chile - Alemania: Rodrigo González Fernández rogofe47@hotmail.com

CHILE IS A Low Country Risk
We attach particular importance to the opinions of independent international institutions, think-tanks, and investment banks because they provide an objective and impartial assessment of Chile's performance. Their rankings and reports -like Chile's low country risk- reflect the country's political and economic stability, sound macroeconomic fundamentals and positive business environment.
In fact, as regards Chile's image abroad as a pro-business country, the Institute for Management Development’s 2005 World Competitiveness Yearbook identifies it as the most competitive country out of 60 economies around the world.
In March 2005, Fitch Ratings raised Chile's long-term foreign-currency sovereign rating from A- to A, putting it on a par with, for example, Greece and South Korea. The agency attributed the upgrade to Chile's strong growth prospects and ongoing reductions in government debt underpinned by fiscal surpluses. Similarly, in February 2005, Moody's Investors Service increased the outlook on Chile's Baa1foreign-currency credit rating from stable to positive, citing the country's improved external debt ratios and the presence of long-standing credit strengths.
Since January 2004, Standard & Poor's has held its long-term foreign-currency sovereign credit rating for Chile at A, putting it in a better position than the Czech Republic, Hungary, South Korea and Israel. Moreover, Chile's low country risk has continued to drop and on March 7, 2005, reached an historic low of 57 basis points over US Treasuries, reflecting investor confidence in the country's economic and financial prospects.
Likewise, according to the 2005 Risk Ranking, published by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), Chile is one of the world's lowest-risk countries. The EIU's country-risk ratings take account of 77 indicators of political stability and other measures of credit quality. FOR MORE INFO:
http://www.foreigninvestment.cl/index/plantilla2.asp?id_seccion=3&id_subsecciones=12
bEST REGARDAS, RODRIGO GONZÁLEZ FERNÁNDEZ , rogofe47@hotmail.com

¿que es el comite de inversiones extranjeras?
COMITE DE INVERSIONES EXTRANJERAS
El Comité de Inversiones Extranjeras es la Agencia que representa al Estado de Chile en las transacciones con aquellos inversionistas que deciden usar el Estatuto de la Inversión Extranjera (D.L. 600) como el mecanismo legal para materializar Inversión Extranjera Directa (IED) en el país.
El Comité de Inversiones Extranjeras está conformado por los Ministros de Economía (quien actúa como el Presidente del Comité), de Hacienda, de Relaciones Exteriores y de Planificación, más el Presidente del Banco Central. Además, cuándo se requiera su participación, los Ministros que representan sectores económicos asociados a una inversión específica.
El Comité apunta a consolidar la posición de Chile como una destino atractivo para la inversión extranjera. Para esto coordina todas las tareas operacionales relacionadas con el marco legal que regula la inversión extranjera, conduce las actividades promocionales del país en distintos ámbitos y participa en las negociaciones internacionales que tienen relación con la inversión extranjera.
Los principales objetivos estratégicos son:
Proporcionar un ambiente estable y seguro para inversiones extranjeras a través de la administración del marco legal indicado en el Estatuto Extranjero de la Inversión (D.L. 600).
Conducir todas las actividades apropiadas que apunten a la información, la promoción, la coordinación y las acciones de ejecución que guían la entrada de inversión extranjera en Chile a nivel nacional, por sector especifico y a nivel regional.
Participar en las negociaciones internacionales de Tratados Bilaterales de la inversión (BITs) y de los capítulos de inversión incluidos en Acuerdos de Libre Comercio (FTAs). Si es requerido, representa al Estado Chile en los casos de controversias relacionadas con la inversión ante entidades de arbitraje internacionales.
Mantener una base de datos actualizada y estadística exacta de los IEDs autorizados y materializados en Chile bajo el Estatuto de la Inversión Extranjera (D.L. 600).
Comité de inversiones Extranjeras , saludos Rodrigo González Fernández consultajuridica.blogspot.com rogofe47@hotmail.com