On February 16, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Association of American Chambers of Commerce in Latin America and the Caribbean (AACCLA) hosted its annual Virtual Outlook on the Americas Conference.
H.E. Erika Mouynes, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Panama, H.E. Rodolfo Solano Quirós, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Costa Rica, and H.E. Roberto Álvarez, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Dominican Republic, joined Anne McKinney, Executive Vice President for AACCLA, in a conversation on the Alliance for Development in Democracy. Launched in 2021 by the presidents of Panama, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic, the Alliance for Development in Democracy is a partnership to advance democracy and economic growth through free markets in their respective countries and beyond. H.E. Erika Mouynes underscored the need to equate democratic governance with progress, particularly economic development and stable growth. She explained that the alliance provides a flexible space for dialogue between governments on how to foster further cooperation within the alliance, with the United States, and with democracies around the world. H.E. Rodolfo Solano Quirós further elaborated on the alliance’s cooperation pillar, citing trilateral synergies around strengthening democratic institutions and working in partnership with the private sector to increase transparency. Lastly, H.E. Roberto Álvarez discussed the alliance’s economic pillar and the importance of securing economic prosperity. He mentioned the alliance’s goal of increasing trade with partners in the hemisphere and the recent establishment of a council on business and investment to advance these efforts.
Click here to watch a recording of the conference.