OREANDA-NEWS. June 8, 2012. Executives from Germany and Mexico met in the head office of DEG - Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH, on the occasion of the 2. German-Mexican Business Summit. The summit particularly targeted small and medium-sized enterprises from both countries. In addition to DEG, the event was organised by the Mexican investment and trade promotion institution ProMexico, the Business Association for Latin America (LAV) and the Chambers of Industry and Commerce in Cologne and Aachen. Emphasis was placed on widening and deepening economic relations between Germany and Mexico, with a special focus on the issues of globalisation, sustainability as well as economic challenges with regard to climate change.

The approximately 200 participants of the international entrepreneur meeting at DEG were offered a diverse programme, including presentations, panel discussions and interactive workshops. Next to the Mexican Ambassador H.E. Francisco N. Gonzalez Diaz and Governor C. Mariano Gonzalez Zarur, other speakers included Dr. Reinhold Festge, Chairman of Latin American Initiative (LAI) and Bruno Wenn, Chairman of DEG's Management Board.

Mexico is the second largest economy in Latin America and also for 2012 its GDP is expected to grow by around 3.5 percent. All major sectors are meanwhile enjoying strong economic performance, with private consumption becoming one of the drivers of growth. DEG's offer to host the German-Mexican Business Summit demonstrates its particular attachment to the country. DEG has had commitments in Mexico since 1966 and in 2003 it opened a representative office in Mexico City. To date, DEG has invested more than 400 million euros in more than 60 companies in Mexico. DEG customers today employ directly and indirectly around 30,000 people. Furthermore, the co-financed enterprises generate taxes to the amount of 28 million euros a year.

The business summit at DEG's head office was part of a series of events in the framework of the Bilateral Business Summit: the German Chapter was opened on the evening of 3 June 2012 with a reception at the facilities of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce Cologne and was attended by the Federal Foreign Minister of Germany, Dr. Guido Westerwelle and the Mexican Ambassador, H.E. Francisco Nicolas Gonzalez Diaz. The closing event on 5 June 2012 under the patronage of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, in cooperation with the Mexican Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, focuses on climate change.

The Bilateral Business Summit Series was launched in Dresden in June 2011 and since then has been hold twice a year, with each one chapter in a Mexican and one in a German city. This year's "Mexican Chapter" will take place in the Mexican city of Leon, from 22 to 24 September 2012.