Relationship between Nicaragua and the U.S. continue to strengthen

MANAGUA, Nicaragua - Feb. 14, 2014 - PRLog -- The American Cultural Center in Nicaragua (CCNN, for its acronym in Spanish), a non-profit Nicaraguan institution whose mission is to promote cultural exchange between Nicaraguan and North American people, was inaugurated on Feb. 10, 2014.

The U.S. Ambassador in Nicaragua, Phyllis Powers, believes the CCNN will raise the relationship between the United States and Nicaragua to a cultural and artistic level. “This center will be a meeting point for Nicaraguans and Americans to better understand what we have in common and what sets us apart, not only in the cultural aspect but also in the understanding of who we are,” said Powers.

The CCNN also runs programs which provide English scholarships to high-school students with low economic resources, scholarships and information about universities in the U.S. and English training for college and high-school teachers.

The center is one of the many efforts made by both countries to continue fostering cultural and economic relationships. Nicaragua is also currently reviewing the option of eliminating tariffs from U.S. products – such as automobiles – as of 2015, as part of the Free Trade Agreement between the U.S., Central America and Dominican Republic (DR-CAFTA).

Nicaragua’s merchandise exports to the U.S. to the third quarter of 2013 reached US$492.2 million. Also, FDI inflows from the U.S. in the first semester of 2013 were US$166.3 million, a 76 percent increase compared to the same period in 2012. FDI inflows from the U.S. have totaled US$827.4 million during the past seven years.