In a span of a few weeks earlier this year, Swiss companies made investments in Georgia that dwarf the state’s entire stock of realized investment from China, a nation of more than a billion people and the world’s second largest economy. Switzerland, in fact, has fewer people than Georgia, but it’s that small market and its fidelity to Read more
‘It Starts With a Coffee’: How Conversation Can Help Investors Avoid Pitfalls in Costa Rica
Costa Rica’s easygoing lifestyle and laid-back, “pura vida” vibe has been a godsend for tourism, but it has sometimes had a negative side effect: turning off other investors accustomed to a more expedient way of doing business. It doesn’t have to be that way, says Consul General Flora Leah Venegas Corrales, who represents the Central Read more
Beyond Beaches: Bahamas Ties With Atlanta Run Much Deeper Than Tourism
Astra Armbrister-Rolle isn’t bashful about the beaches where she grew up. After all, the Bahamas is known for the white sand and azure waters that postcards have marketed so well to Americans seeking a getaway. “When we say that it’s better in the Bahamas, just about everyone in this room will know what that means,” Read more
From Astana to Atlanta: New Greek Consul Brings Russian Expertise
When Emmanouil (Manolis) Androulakis found out he was headed to Atlanta, he set off on a feverish research binge. A portrait of the city slowly came into view: Atlanta was the home of Coca-Cola, CNN, the world’s busiest airport and many top corporations, Greece’s new consul quickly found out. But it held another distinction: “Oh, Atlanta — yes of course!” Read more
Nigeria Eyes Tech, Ag Partnerships With Georgia
When posted at the United Nations, Kayode Laro admits that he sometimes got sucked into what one might call the “New York state of mind.” “I thought the world started and ended in New York, and I looked at Atlanta as, ‘Oh, well that’s really off my radar,’” the Nigerian consul general said in a Read more
Consular Conversations: Peru Invites the World to Its Diverse Dinner Table
When Miguel Aleman first arrived in Atlanta nearly three years ago, he already had a self-imposed mandate in mind. If he accomplished nothing else while taking care of the 30,000 Peruvians across his six-state region, the consul general said, half-jokingly, that he would focus on one all-important metric: attracting an upscale Peruvian restaurant to metro Read more
Japanese Consul General: Reform Necessary, Not Easy
With the date set a year in advance, the organizers of this year’s SEUS-Japan alliance meeting couldn’t have seen this coincidence coming. As influential business leaders from the South converge in Greenville, S.C., with counterparts from Japan next weekend, Japanese voters will be headed to the polls Oct. 22 for a pivotal election that could affect Read more
In Age of Populism, Switzerland Balances Independence, Integration
Switzerland is known for punctual trains that you can set your clock by, but few know that the country itself is a microcosm of a timekeeping device, says Andreas Maager, the outgoing Swiss consul general in Atlanta. Mr. Maager says Switzerland is like a watch, one of its most famous exports, and not just because of a manufacturing sector known Read more
El Salvador Diplomat Uses People Power to Change Perceptions
Editor’s note/update: Ms. Valenzuela recently moved on to her next position and is no longer El Salvador’s consul general in Atlanta. To reach the consulate, email consuladoatlanta@rree.gob.sv. When Claudia Valenzuela was serving her country at the United Nations, she gained lessons much more valuable than international protocol. While she enjoyed negotiating and meeting heads of state — she even shared Read more
Deeper Than Headlines and Handshakes: The German-U.S. Alliance in the Age of Trump
U.S. President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have so far been unable to find personal chemistry in line with the close ties between their countries. At their first meeting in the Oval Office, Mr. Trump’s attempts to make light of U.S. wiretapping of European leaders fell flat, and he all-too-visibly failed to shake Ms. Merkel’s hand during a photo op. Read more
