Two recent events relating to US President Obama underline the growing importance of Belize. One is his desire to visit Belize expressed at the Summit of the Americas dinner in Port of Spain. Belize’s Prime Minister Dean Barrow seems to have established a good rapport with the President at the summit and he quoted the latter as expressing his wish to visit Belize. President Obama is photographed welcoming the Prime Minister’s wife, Kim Simplis-Barrow in the accompany photo. The visit will be further facilitated by the recent appointment of the President’s friend as the U.S. ambassador to Belize.
Vinai Thummalapally, apparently a very good friend of President Obama, was recently appointed as the ambassador to Belize. Ambassador Thummalapally was a college mate & close confidante of the President for a many years. He is a mechanical engineer by qualification and was president of MAMA Inc, a maker and distributor of recordable optical disks. He formally presented his credentials to Governor General of Belize, Sir Colville Young and also paid a courtesy call to the Foreign Affairs Minister,Wilfred Elrington, last September at Belmopan, Belize’s capital city.
The fact that President Obama has chosen one of his close confidantes as ambassador to Belize can only help raise the profile of Belize and his future visit to Belize will no doubt attract international media attention and put Belize firmly on the world’s tourist map. Exposure like this is great for all investors in Belize.
Chris
