Japanese Prime Minister Visits Colombia

The recent visit by the Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe and his wife Akie, to Bogota boded well on three fronts for Colombian floriculture. First, the overriding aim for Prime Minister Abe’s visit to the second worldwide exporter of flowers was to fast-track trade agreement negotiations between this key Asian nation and Colombia – a promising green light for Colombian floriculture’s third largest market.

In the second place, an ensuing upshot of the visit was the chance our trade association had in pulling back the curtain for the Prime Minister’s wife on the wider social facets that bolster its everyday business of flower production. During a visit to ‘Flores de Serrezuela’ flower farm, Akie Abe sat serenely discussing matters of flower exportation to her country with the growers, their workers, and Asocolflores.

A third added bonus presented itself in the form of the reception held by the Japanese Ambassador to Colombia for the official visitors held on July 29th at the Bogotá Hilton Hotel: a venue for Colombian flower growers to display show-stopping floral arrangements and to put on a catwalk procession of models elegantly attired in flowers and toting flower accessories. The flower fashion show put the finishing touch on a lasting impression for over 300 Colombian and Japanese business people in attendance.