Post by scumbuster on Sept 21, 2015 6:28:47 GMT -5
CARTAGENA, Colombia – Spanish companies will increase their presence in Colombia at the invitation of President Juan Manuel Santos, who proposed to the chiefs of the largest firms with whom he met on the weekend in Cartagena that meetings of this kind be held every two years.
“The growth potential is enormous,” said Santos in a statement to the press after the meeting with about 30 presidents of the top Spanish companies whom he received at the Casa de Huespedes Ilustres to “exchange information and seek opportunities for the two nations.”
Participating in the meeting were the presidents of Mapfre, Sacyr, Telefonica, Air Europa, Acciona, Aena, Gas Natural Fenosa, Banco Santander, Mutua Madrileña, OHL, Sacyr, Hotusa, Indra, Repsol, Banco Sabadell, Prisa, Ferrovial and El Corte Ingles, among other firms, some of which agreed to begin or increase their operations in the Andean country.
“Fortunately, we’ve had a very special relationship with Spain, very good in every sense, on the economic front, on the trade front, on the political front,” the president said.
Given the results obtained, Santos proposed that the initiative of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce and Bogota’s ambassador in Madrid, Fernando Carrillo, “be repeated regularly” with meetings such as this one becoming “institutionalized” so that “they can be repeated every two years in Colombia or in Spain.”
Santos told the business executives that their investments in Colombia are guaranteed and that in the peace talks Bogota is holding in Cuba with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, guerrillas, nothing is being discussed that will compromise the country’s stability or hurt any companies, whether domestic or foreign.
“The growth potential is enormous,” said Santos in a statement to the press after the meeting with about 30 presidents of the top Spanish companies whom he received at the Casa de Huespedes Ilustres to “exchange information and seek opportunities for the two nations.”
Participating in the meeting were the presidents of Mapfre, Sacyr, Telefonica, Air Europa, Acciona, Aena, Gas Natural Fenosa, Banco Santander, Mutua Madrileña, OHL, Sacyr, Hotusa, Indra, Repsol, Banco Sabadell, Prisa, Ferrovial and El Corte Ingles, among other firms, some of which agreed to begin or increase their operations in the Andean country.
“Fortunately, we’ve had a very special relationship with Spain, very good in every sense, on the economic front, on the trade front, on the political front,” the president said.
Given the results obtained, Santos proposed that the initiative of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce and Bogota’s ambassador in Madrid, Fernando Carrillo, “be repeated regularly” with meetings such as this one becoming “institutionalized” so that “they can be repeated every two years in Colombia or in Spain.”
Santos told the business executives that their investments in Colombia are guaranteed and that in the peace talks Bogota is holding in Cuba with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, guerrillas, nothing is being discussed that will compromise the country’s stability or hurt any companies, whether domestic or foreign.