Eduardo González
Felipe VI and Queen Letizia concluded yesterday their state visit to Denmark with a meeting with representatives of the 8,500 Spanish residents in this country, who constitute “a valuable human capital that is highly recognized and appreciated”.
The third and final day began with a farewell meeting with the Queen of Denmark at Fredensborg Palace, where, as tradition dictates, they signed on a glass window pane with a diamond-tipped pen.
Afterwards, Don Felipe and Doña Letizia moved to the Danish Architecture Center (DAC) where they attended, accompanied by the Crown Prince and Princess of Denmark, a round table on sustainability and visited the exhibition Copenhagen In Common, which celebrates the designation of Copenhagen as UNESCO Capital of Architecture 2023 and which analyzes the role of Copenhagen as a successful model of urban planning.
The King and Queen ended the State Trip by offering a reception at the Moltke Palace to the Spanish community in Denmark. At the meeting, Don Felipe said that the Spanish residents in this country constitute “a dynamic and well-integrated community” that develops its activity “in different areas” and contributes with its “talent and effort to the progress of this country”.
“You constitute a valuable human capital that is highly recognized and appreciated, and you also exercise, although you may not always be aware of it, an excellent representation of our country, our values, our culture and our language,” he added. “This is also an excellent occasion to recognize and thank you particularly for your efforts to facilitate and strengthen your permanent connection with Spain through initiatives such as the AED, the Association of Spaniards in Denmark, or the Spandinavia Association,” he added.
“A good number of Spaniards here residents participate directly or indirectly in sectors related to new technologies, science, research and innovation,” he stressed. “We are pleased to see that there are also initiatives that contribute to forging networks and promoting professional links in these sectors, such as the Association of Spanish Scientists in Denmark or the representation of the College of Civil Engineers,” he concluded.
There are some 8,500 Spanish residents and non-residents in the consular registry. This is a predominantly young community, made up of Erasmus students (the third nationality of students that Denmark receives) or Master’s students who, subsequently, stay because of the attractive and abundant job offers. There are also young qualified professionals in the fields of science, biotechnology, architecture, music or engineering who move for a job offer and there is a small group of Spaniards employed in international organizations based in Copenhagen (UNHCR, UNDP, UNOPS, UNFPA, UNICEF, WHO, OSCE) and in the European Environment Agency (EEA).
