MUNCIE, Ind.--The top priority for Madagascar’s ambassador is making sure foreign governments and international business leaders can find his country on the map.

Ball State University alumnus Zina Andrianarivelo-Razafy, the ambassador from Madagascar to the United States, spoke Nov. 28 at Ball State about trade opportunities in his homeland.

Andrianarivelo-Razafy is working on a two-way business relationship between Madagascar and the United States to increase the number of imports and exports. To overcome American unfamiliarity with Madagascar, he plans to meet with potential investors to discuss trade opportunities.

“When attracting investments it’s a matter of international competition, we need to show our competitive advantages,” Andrianarivelo-Razafy said.

The ambassador said reform is needed for developing countries to succeed along with foreign support from other countries, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

The island nation of Madagascar is a crossroad between Africa and Asia. The former French colony is located 400 miles off the African continent in the Indian Ocean.

The official languages are French and Malagasy. Major exports are vanilla, coffee, shellfish, cloves, sugar, textiles and petroleum products. Many principal imports are from the United States and include consumer goods, chemical products, cars and machinery.

Andrianarivelo-Razafy considers himself a jack-of-all trades, able to discuss business issues such as macroeconomics, business administration and finance. He earned his master’s degree in business administration from Ball State in 1984. His education helped him to secure his ambassadorship, he said.

“My education here was instrumental in my ambassadorship. I’m a new breed, not a career diplomat. It’s not an easy job and expectations are high. At Ball State I learned you will make it if you believe it,” he said.

Andrianarivelo-Razafy said fate brought him to the American Midwest.

He researched many U.S. universities and found Ball State had a good business program.

“On the plane ride to Muncie I remembered flying over and thinking, ‘What am I going to do here?’”

Today, Andrianarivelo-Razafy would like to set up more student exchange programs, particularly with Ball State. Exchange programs will ensure more Malagasy students know more about American culture and that decisions made in the United States effect the whole world.

By Roseanne Durril, Graduate Assistant

(NOTE TO EDITORS: For more information, contact the Embassy of Madagascar by phone (202) 265-5525 or e-mail malagasy@embassy.org)