UN asks Venezuela to open to investments

United Nations Secretary-General, South Korean Ban Ki-moon, over the weekend in New York said he is likely to pay a visit to Latin America this year, and asked countries in the region to offer "opportunities for foreign investments."

In an interview with Efe, Ban Ki-moon stressed that the region has made "progress," but reminded that there is "a lack of progress" in some areas of development.

"Two weeks ago, I received an invitation from the Secretary-General of the Ibero-American Secretariat (Uruguayan Enrique Iglesias) to attend the November Summit of the Ibero-American Secretariat, and I am assessing this invitation very positively, but I cannot make a commitment yet."

Ban Ki-moon underscored he understood nationalizations in countries such as Venezuela and Bolivia to manage their rich natural resources and promote economic and social programs. However, he claimed that nationalization should not undermine foreign investments.

"While they are advocating their domestic interests and priorities, it is desirable that they (Venezuela and Bolivia) provide a good level of opportunities for foreign investors."