The Tribune

By MATT MAURA

Bahamas Information Services

PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis has been invited to address the third CEO Summit of the Americas, scheduled for April 12-13 in Lima, Peru.

The CEO Summit, which will precede the two-day, eighth Summit of the Americas, is the most important business forum of the Americas. Leading CEOs and heads of state from the region assemble to analyse opportunities to promote economic growth and investment through unprecedented public-private interaction under the Americas Business Dialogue mechanism.

The Americas Business Dialogue mechanism is a private-sector driven initiative facilitated by the Inter-American Development Bank intended to foster a high-level and open policy dialogue among the most important business leaders on the region’s priorities, challenges and opportunities for social and economic development.

Dr Minnis will be among dozens of Western Hemispheric leaders assembled in Lima for the eighth Summit of Americas which takes place April 13-14 under the theme: “Democratic Governance Against Corruption.”

The Summits of the Americas are institutionalised gatherings of heads of state and governments of the member states of the Organisation of American States (OAS) where leaders discuss common policy issues, affirm shared values and commit to concerted actions at the national and regional level to address continuing and new challenges faced by countries in the Americas.

Dr Minnis will be attending his first Summit of the Americas as head of government of The Bahamas.

Press secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister, Anthony Newbold, said Tuesday that the summit – held every three years – allows hemispheric leaders to address a number of topical issues.

Mr Newbold said the summit’s theme and three identified themes of the Lima Commitment – democratic governance and corruption; corruption and sustainable development, and corruption, international institutions and public/private partnerships – are of particular interest to Dr Minnis.