Dear PBEC Members and Guests:

Next May, Santiago, Chile, will be the proud host to the PBEC 3Ist International General Meeting. Since the last time we met in our capital city, in 1983 for the 16th IGM, Chile has maintained a sustained and dynamic economic growth, becoming one of the most competitive of all Latin American countries. At the same time, Chile has increasingly worked on its relations with the Asia Pacific Region and, in this sense, PBEC has been a very important forum for us, the Chilean businessmen.

With the 21st Century at our doorstep, it is important that the business sector of all economies pertaining to the Pacific Rim work on maintaining their sustained economic growth and prosperity in order to experience a successful transition into the next century. It is because of this that the 1998 IGM is titled Pacific Prosperity: Sustaining Momentum into the 21st Century.

Latin America and the Asia-Pacific have been the engines of world growth for the past few years and are expected to maintain this role for the decades to come. This means that, today, we must improve relations between Latin America and the Asia-Pacific in order to enable us to maintain such a leadership role in the world economy. It also means that Latin America and the Asia Pacific face an extraordinary opportunity for expanding trade and investment between them that, if taken, could become an important basis for future development and growth in both regions.

Our goal is that this IGM be the great opportunity for businessmen from both sides of the Pacific Rim to come together and discuss these very issues - the present and future of business within our region.

We hope that you will join The Voice of Business in the Pacific in Santiago for the 1998 PBEC International General Meeting next May 22nd through the 27th so that together we may discuss with senior business leaders the challenges that lie ahead of us.

We look forward to welcoming you to our country and sharing our Chilean hospitality.

Yours Faithfully,

Roberto Izquierdo Chairman PBEC 31st IGM Organizing Committee							Mario Andrade Chairman PBEC Chile Member Committee