The Diplomat
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Arancha González Laya, stated yesterday, during the dinner of the Annual Assembly of Partners 2021 of the Business Council Alliance for Ibero-America (CEAPI), that “if Europe is not present in Latin America, others will take its place”.
In his speech before important Spanish and Latin American businessmen, diplomats, senior government officials and representatives of Latin American organisations who attended the dinner, held at the Real Casino de Madrid, González Laya insisted that “Latin America is a strategic priority for Spain in all areas”, and assured that the Government will continue to work to ensure that the European Union pays more attention to the region.
In this regard, she stressed the importance of the EU trade agreement with Mercosur and the updating of the agreements with Chile and Mexico as important elements for the reactivation of Latin America.
The minister indicated that, although the economy is beginning to recover, “in Latin America the pandemic has shown the existing weaknesses”, such as in aspects of democratic institutions and the high level of the informal economy, but it has also shown positive aspects, such as the resilience of society and the value of companies.
González Laya said that the government is working to ensure that vaccination reaches all countries in the region and that there is access to financing for the economic recovery of middle-income countries, trade agreements and structural transformation, digitalisation and decarbonisation. “It is a time of shared hope, with an economy that is transforming and recovering,” he said.
For her part, Núria Vilanova, President of CEAPI, stressed that “Spain is preparing to experience economic recovery. And also the return to growth of Latin American investment”. She added that this is demonstrated by “the success of the latest investments, such as OHL, which are reaping significant rewards and acting as an attraction: companies, family offices and funds are arriving and have decided to invest in our country”.
“We have clear indicators that Latin America continues to be an attractive environment for Spain and for the world, and clear proof of this is the renewed interest of the US and China in the region; the upturn in raw materials and agro-industrial products, and the new investments that are being made in these countries. These investments are already following the trend of creating companies with a greater environmental and social balance,” Vilanova said.
The dinner was preceded by CEAPI’s Annual Members’ Meeting, where the growth and progress of the association over the last year was discussed, marked by the addition of new members, both from Spain and abroad. new members, both from Spain and Latin America. The meeting dealt with the consolidation of CEAPI as a ‘think tank’ and provided valuable content on various topics of business interest such as sustainability, economic prospects and challenges, and the enhancement of the social role of the entrepreneur, according to a note from CEAPI.
