iconannual 2015 - The European Business and Investment Magazine

Dominican Republic
Greetings
Dear readers!
H. E. Ramón Quiñones
Ambassador of the Dominican Republic
to Austria, Bulgaria and Serbia
Dean of the Diplomatic Corps for
Latin America and Caribbean
For more than a decade, the Business and Investment
Forum “iconvienna” has served as an excellent
platform for the efficient promotion of economic
cooperation in Vienna, uniting leaders and
businessmen from Austria and East Europe in Vienna,
allowing for the establishment of new contacts and the
exchange of knowledge, ideas, experiences, and creating
new business opportunities.
The main issues addressed and the business contacts
established by this forum have contributed to stimulating
economic growth, creating employment, and fostering
sustainable development in an environment marked
by the global economic and financial crisis and subsequent
labor migration. Among the main topics discussed
in the iconvienna have been communication and information
technology, innovation, energy and sustainability,
innovative ways of infrastructure financing, urban
management and commercial exchange.
Given the importance of the activities carried out by
iconvienna, the Embassy of the Dominican Republic
has supported this initiative since its inception, actively
participating in the forum, and facilitating contacts
with our producers of rum, tobacco and tourist services.
I should highlight the 7.1% growth rate turned in by
our economy in 2014, backed by a strong expansion in
mining, construction, service, agriculture, manufacturing
and the free trade zone, placing the Dominican Republic
among the countries with highest growth rates
in the world. I should particularly like to highlight the
solid 10% growth rate achieved by the tourism sector,
converting the country into the most popular destination
of the Caribbean, visited by more than 5 million
persons last year.
As the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps for Latin America
and the Caribbean, we have embraced the kind invitation
extended by iconvienna as to allow other countries
of our region to effectively integrate into its various
activities, which will surely foster economic and commercial
relations in multiple areas between European
countries and countries in our Region.
In this regard, I would like to express my most sincere
congratulations to the President of iconvienna, Dr.
Gerhard Hrebicek, and his team for the eleventh anniversary
of the celebration of the forum, and above all to
thank him for his warm hospitability, and for integrating
Latin America and the Caribbean in his efforts to
establish contacts for contracts among our economies.
Foto: Embassy of the Dominian Republic
The European Business and Investment Magazine iconannual 33