Alberto Rubio
At a reception to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the creation of the State of Israel, Ambassador Rodica Radian-Gordon stressed her country’s interest in collaborating with Europe, and with Spain, in the technological and military fields.
The Israeli ambassador reviewed what she described as “a success story” in these 75 years, during which the country has overcome “many external and internal challenges”, has increased its population tenfold (20% of which is Arab) and has achieved a very high Human Development Index.
“The continuous investment in human capital is manifested in the development of high-tech products, which account for 18% of our GDP,” she added, explaining that there are currently 8,000 companies in Israel dedicated to the high-tech sector, “which is a model for boosting innovation”.
After underlining the importance for the stability of the region of the agreement with Lebanon for the exploitation of gas in neighbouring waters and the Abraham Accords, Radian-Gordon insisted on warning of “major external challenges, such as Iran” and the growing influence of Hamas “beyond Gaza”.
As for relations with Spain, Rodica Radian-Gordon said that “our common past is present in our relations in all areas, with many links between our two cultures”. In this respect, she highlighted the work of “institutions such as Casa Sefarad, which contribute a great deal” and, “of course, the Jewish community in Spain as an indispensable link and for its unconditional support”.
He added, with regard to the recent visit by the Israeli Foreign Minister, Eli Cohen, that “we hope that dialogue will intensify under the Spanish EU Presidency”, since “we have a common interest in strengthening economic, technological, academic and scientific cooperation in the field of cutting-edge technology and the military, which will be beneficial for both parties”.
Finally, he announced the issue of a commemorative stamp by the Spanish Mint (FNMT), “as part of the 75th anniversary celebrations”, which will be designed by Spanish students from different artistic disciplines. This will be the third time that a stamp of this kind has been issued. The first coincided with the 20th anniversary of bilateral relations. He ended by toasting these relations, which, he assured, “will continue to grow and will serve to bring the two peoples closer together”.
The reception was attended by the Director General for the Maghreb, the Mediterranean and the Middle East, Alberto José Ucelay, representing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Numerous Israeli and Spanish ambassadors, politicians, academics and businessmen also attended.
