The Diplomat
King Philip VI and Queen Letizia had a busy institutional agenda yesterday during the first day of their historic state trip to Andorra, during which the Prime Minister of the Principality, Xavier Espot, informed the Monarch about the process of fiscal homologation that his country is carrying out.
The visit, the first of this rank by a Spanish head of state in the history of Andorra, officially began at the Casa de la Vall, historic seat of the Consell General (Parliament) of Andorra, where they were received by the Co-Prince of Andorra and Archbishop of Urgell, Monsignor Joan Enric Vives, and by Patrick Strzoda, representative of the French President and also Co-Prince Emmanuel Macron.
After the official reception, the King and Queen met with the general syndic of Andorra (president of the Parliament), Roser Suñé, and visited the Comú (Town Hall) of Andorra la Vella, where they were received by the cònsol major, Conxita Marsol, and the cònsol menor, David Astrié. At the exit of the building, according to the local press, the King and Queen skipped the protocol to greet the neighbors gathered there, who received them with Spanish flags and shouts of “Long live the King”.
The morning’s activities concluded with a meeting with the staff of the Spanish Embassy in Andorra, at the Andorra Park Hotel, and with a working meeting between the Queen and the Minister of Education and Higher Education of Andorra, Ester Viarrubla. The King and Queen are accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Arancha González Laya.
In the afternoon, the King held a meeting with the cap de Govern (Prime Minister) of Andorra, Xavier Espot, together with the rest of the Spanish and Andorran delegations, in the administrative building of the Government of Andorra. The first day of the state visit concluded with an official dinner hosted in his honor by the co-princes of Andorra at the Andorra Park Hotel.
During his meeting with the King, as reported by the local press, Espot informed Philip VI about the process of fiscal homologation and the fight against tax fraud and money laundering that the Pyrenean country has carried out during the last ten years, an issue that has been in the news in Spain due to the displacement of several well-known youtubers to the Principality to take advantage of its tax advantages.
The King and the Prime Minister also addressed various issues of bilateral relations and discussed the state of negotiations for the Association Agreement with the European Union and the XXVIII Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government, to be held on April 21 in the Principality and which will be attended by the King and the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez. Philip VI was also interested in the fight against the pandemic in Andorra and Espot highlighted the collaboration between the two countries in this matter.
On the second day of today, the King and Queen will visit the María Moliner Spanish School and will meet with the Spanish educational community in Andorra, a meeting that will replace the traditional reception for the Spanish community, suspended because of the pandemic. Apart from other visits of a marked cultural nature, King and Queen will attend the official lunch offered by the cap de Govern of Andorra in their honor.
