Reply #3: Bolivia’s Morales Seeks Partners for Investment, Not ‘Bosses’ [View All]

Bolivia’s Morales Seeks Partners for Investment, Not ‘Bosses’
By Emma Ross-Thomas

Sept. 14 (Bloomberg) -- Bolivian President Evo Morales said companies that respect the law and don’t “conspire” against the government are welcome in his country.

Bolivia needs investors and partners rather than “bosses,” Morales told a conference of business leaders and politicians in Madrid. The government is seeking talks with companies that want to invest in exploiting Bolivia’s lithium deposits, he said.

“We need partners, companies that respect the Bolivian rules,” Morales said. “Companies that come to invest are welcome, but not to do politics.”

Bolivia has about 49 percent of the world’s lithium reserves, according to a U.S. Geological Survey report. It also holds the second-largest natural-gas reserves in South America, after Venezuela, and Spain’s Repsol YPF SA is among energy companies operating there.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=aX1K6Z8E27Bc