As part of the strategy to improve Rio Grande do Sul’s international relations, the Secretariat for Economic Development (Sedec) and Invest RS met with the consular corps established in Porto Alegre on Tuesday (6/5) to present the development agency’s operating logic. The breakfast was held at the agency’s headquarters and was attended by representatives from 8 countries that have representation in the state: France, the Netherlands, Spain, Argentina, Spain, Japan, Switzerland and the United States.
Representatives from 8 countries learned about the strategy for internationalizing the state’s economy and how the government seeks to improve trade relations.
Secretary Ernani Polo highlighted the main points of the Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Development Plan and how it intends to accelerate Rio Grande do Sul’s growth in the coming years. “Meetings like this are essential to qualify our work and our contact routine. With the Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Development Plan, we have aligned a set of strategies to make the state’s economic performance even more robust, a path that involves the internationalization of our economy,” said Polo.
Created to attract investments and commercially promote the state, Invest RS has among its purposes the fostering of international relations. When presenting the agency’s way of working, the president of Invest RS, Rafael Prikladnicki, highlighted the main products and services and how the team is mapping opportunities around the world, based on an agenda of relationships and international presence.
According to Prikladnicki, Invest RS was created to further qualify the initiatives that were already being conducted by the state government. “Invest RS was not created to do something in someone else’s place, but to do more than what was already being done. With ambition, boldness and responsibility, we seek to accelerate the state’s growth trajectory, with a lot of collaboration with the government and society itself,” explained Prikladnicki, who also took stock of the agency’s international agendas since it began operating.
Among the country representatives, Roner Fabris, French consul in Rio Grande do Sul, spoke on behalf of his colleagues in representative roles. He highlighted the role that the consultative body plays in the state, amid the current context involving trade exchanges, and thanked the initiative. “This approach is very positive, allowing us to further qualify our trade relations,” said Fabris.
In addition to Fabris, the meeting was attended by Marcelo Baumbach (head of the Eresul Office, Itamaraty), Lucila Almeida (deputy representative of the Netherlands Business Support Office), Gabriel Alberto Cervetto (consul general of Argentina), Mártin Haeberlin (honorary consul of Switzerland), Laura Corchón Letosa (consul general of Spain), Shimizu Kazuyoshi (consul of Japan), Martina Wolf-Melgar Bastidas (consul of the Republic of Germany), Katie Hughes (head of Political Affairs at the US Consulate) and Aline Vecchia (political assistant at the US Consulate). Also present on behalf of Sedec were the director general, Leandro Ewald, and the coordinator of Consular and Diplomatic Relations at the Secretariat for Economic Development, Astrid Schünemann. On behalf of Invest RS, the directors Carolione Bücker (Intelligence and Strategy) and Rodrigo Ribeiro (Corporate Management).
Invest RS is a development agency that operates as a tool for the Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Development Plan, announced by the state government in October 2024. It works in cooperation with Sedec, other government agencies and society. The institution is structured to offer market intelligence services and support to investors and exporters.
