General Investing >> Analyst Interviews >> June 2, 2004
Zohar Peri, who began his term as the government of Israel's Economic
Minister to North America in August 2001, has 30 years of experience
representing Israel in international markets and has been a lead
negotiator on economic agreements with Israel's major trading partners.
Before being appointed Economic Minister, Mr. Peri served as Director of
the Foreign Trade Administration at the Ministry of Industry and Trade,
a post he had held since 1989. As Director, Mr. Peri was responsible for
recommending and implementing Israel's foreign trade policy, and for
managing the investment and trade promotion activities of Economic
Attachs around the world. Mr. Peri also played a leading role in all
negotiations relating to multilateral agreements, including Israel's
participating in the World Trade Organization. He led negotiations on
bilateral agreements for trade and economic issues, including the free
trade area agreements (FTAs) with Israel's major trading partners,
including the US. After helping to establish the Israel-US FTA, Mr. Peri
was involved in negotiating market access issues for products between
the two countries. He also played a major role in establishing trade
relations with countries in the former Soviet Union, Eastern Europe,
the Middle East and Asia. Mr. Peri served as Israel's trade
representative in Switzerland (1976-1981) and in Bonn, Germany
(1975-1976). During his tenure in Switzerland he was also a delegate to
a number of international economic organizations in Geneva, and
represented Israel at the GATT talks from 1977-1980. Following his
return to Israel in 1980, Mr. Peri became the Director of the European
Trade Division at the Ministry of Industry and Trade. He was promoted to
the position of Deputy Director of the Foreign Trade Administration in
1985. In 1989 he was appointed Deputy Director General of the Ministry
of Industry and Trade and Director of the Foreign Trade Administration.
Mr. Peri was born in Jerusalem in 1940 and is married with two children.
He graduated from Hebrew University with a degree in Economics and
Business Administration. Profile
mission in the US?
Mr. Peri: The economic mission in North America is representing the
Israeli economy, including
