The Diplomat
The Spain-Brazil Council Foundation (FCEB) has approved an “ambitious Action Plan” for 2023, coinciding with the tenth anniversary of its creation and the beginning of a new stage in the South American country after the return of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to the Presidency.
The companies, institutions and government representatives of the Board of Trustees of the Spain-Brazil Council Foundation met in mid-December, at the initiative of the Chairman of Mapfre and the Foundation, Antonio Huertas, to take stock of the activities carried out in 2023 and prepare the 2023 Action Plan.
During the event, held at Mapfre’s headquarters, the deputy director general for Mercosur countries and Ibero-American Multilateral Organizations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, José Luis García Galán, offered an analysis of bilateral relations, which are facing a new period with the new Executive of Lula da Silva, according to the FCEB in a press release.
The participants also discussed upcoming activities for the Spain-Brazil Council Foundation, which will focus on innovation, technology, science, sustainability and Brazil’s possible accession to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The Spanish government has repeatedly supported Brazil’s aspirations to join the organization.
The Brazilian Leaders Program and other activities, such as high-level meetings, seminars and other regular events, will be part of next year’s agenda. In addition, 2023 will be especially relevant as the Council Foundation celebrates the tenth anniversary of its creation.
Among the participants in the meeting of the Board of Trustees were Enrique Ojeda, director of Casa América; Carlos Abella, secretary general of the Fundación Consejo de España con Iberoamérica; Claudio Themudo, Chargé d’Affaires of the Brazilian Embassy in Spain; and top representatives of Mapfre, Acciona, Banco Santander, the Spanish Chamber of Commerce, Repsol, Iberdrola, ICEX and the Instituto Cervantes, among others, in addition to the aforementioned Antonio Huertas and José Luis García Galán.
