<h6><strong>The Diplomat</strong></h6> <h4><strong>On December 19, the Spain-Australia Council Foundation (SACF) held the last meeting of its Board of Trustees in 2024, which took place at the headquarters of Acciona and was attended by the Spanish ambassador to Australia, Esther Monterrubio.</strong></h4> During the meeting, the Action Plan planned for next year was presented and a review of bilateral relations was made thanks to the intervention, on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, of the general director of North America, Eastern Europe, Asia and the Pacific, Carlos Moreno, and the Spanish ambassador to Australia, as reported by the SACF in a press release. Specifically, Esther Monterrubio took advantage of her presence to accept her incorporation into the Board of Trustees by reason of her position and to make an assessment of the recent trip of the president of the SACF, Joaquín Mollinedo, and the management team of the Foundation to Australia. According to the ambassador, the trip was a boost for establishing links in all sectors of activity and served to make Spain's image in Australia more directly and effectively known. In addition to this trip, the rest of the activities carried out during the second half of the year were reviewed, with special attention to the lunch held with the European Australian Business Council, the meeting with the new Australian ambassador to Spain, Rosemary Morris-Castico, or the support provided to the SRAP Australia-Spain Research Forum. The Action Plan planned for 2025 maintains the level of previous activities and is designed with the aim of continuing to increase knowledge between Spain and Australia through this public-private collaboration formula. Specifically, events and actions were announced aimed at promoting investment, supporting new joint initiatives and growing contact networks between companies, governments and institutions. All of this will take place coinciding with the fifteenth anniversary of the Spain-Australia Council Foundation. The meeting of the Board of Trustees also served to welcome two new members: Grupo ACS and the University of Salamanca. With their incorporation, the Foundation's reach increases, expanding the number of its members in two sectors that are particularly important with regard to Spain's potential in Australia. At this meeting, the Board of Trustees also held a meeting with Jean-Baptiste Nithart, Post Manager and Investment Commissioner of Austrade for Paris and Madrid. The Australian Government's trade, investment and education promotion agency reported through its representative on its perspectives, actions and vision and responded to all the questions raised by those attending.
