Argentine Vice President Daniel Scioli and Argentine Ambassador to the United States José Octavio Bordón are to lead a delegation of businesspersons from their country to Georgia June 22-25.

The 20-person trade mission is to participate in a business seminar on Friday, June 24, at the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. On Saturday, June 25, Mr. Scioli will be the guest of honor at the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Awards Gala at the Hyatt Regency Hotel downtown.

The Argentine delegates, who include food and wine producers, furniture and wood products manufacturers, hardware products manufacturers and leather goods producers, will be available for individual meetings with Atlanta distributors and importers.

Although unemployment rates are still high in Argentina following its recent economic crisis, the country’s overall economic forecast is “very promising,” according to Argentina’s consul general in Atlanta, Carlos Layús. He noted that solid business opportunities are available for American investors in his country’s agro-business and food products sectors.

Argentina was Georgia’s fastest growing trading partner in the 1990s before the economic crisis and has recently been an important country for Atlanta in terms of securing its vote for the pending secretariat of the Free Trade Area of the Americas.

Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin led an Atlanta delegation to Argentina’s capital of Buenos Aires in 2003. Georgia Department of Economic Development Commissioner Craig Lesser participated in December in the inaugural reopening of Delta Air Lines Inc.’s daily nonstop flight to Buenos Aires.

Since 2001 when the worst of Argentina’s crisis ended, the country has experienced a quick recovery, with a 9 percent increase in gross domestic product over the past two years.

The delegation’s trip has been organized by the Argentine Consulate General in Atlanta and the Georgia Department of Economic Development.

To make an appointment to meet with members of the Argentine delegation or for information on the events surrounding their trip, call the Argentine consulate at (404) 880-0806 or write to catla@bellsouth.net