Holding the Presidency of World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA), the Investment Support and Promotion Agency of Türkiye (ISPAT) is hosting the XIX. annual WAIPA World Investment Conference in Istanbul on May 13-15.
A gathering for the 244 members of the umbrella organization for national and regional investment promotion agencies from 162 different countries, the annual conference also brings together non-governmental organizations, business leaders, investors, researchers and government officials to discuss the latest strategies, policies and trends in global foreign direct investments (FDI).
At the opening session attended by ISPAT and WAIPA President Ilker Ayci, Türkiye’s Minister of Finance Mehmet Simsek and Governor of Istanbul, Huseyin Avni Mutlu and hundreds of other participants, a moment’s silence was observed for the victims of the tragic accident in the Soma coal mine in Manisa.
Delivering the keynote speech, President Ayci said stressed the importance of the conference as the most prestigious global FDI event and outlined WAIPA’s new strategy. “ISPAT is proud to be hosting this conference, the leading event on the latest developments in the global FDI arena. Under our leadership, WAIPA will take on an active role in researching and reporting on the subject of international investments very much like the International Monetary Foundation (IMF), the World Bank, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). Taking developing and under-developed countries into consideration to bring more transparent, objective and fair evaluations and reporting to the studies on global FDI. The period that follows will witness the foundation efforts of this new strategy” Ayci said.
Minister Simsek, on his part, said that as a structurally sound economy Türkiye presented an excellent long-term investment opportunity. “Türkiye owes its economic accomplishments during the last decade to a resolutely pursued reform program. These reforms were made possible as a result of political stability”, he remarked.
On the first day of the event, ISPAT has signed Memorandums of Understanding (Mou) with the national investment promotion agencies of South Africa and Azerbaijan to bolster business, trade and investment ties between Türkiye and the respective countries.