Canary Islands and the business community promote an Ibero-African office
from left To right: Antonio Garamendi, president of CECOE; Ángel Víctor Torres, president of the Canary Islands; and Agustín Manrique de Lara, president of CCE.
business relationships
The objective is to promote, strengthen and establish business synergies between the Iberian territory and the African continent
The Canary Islands will become the headquarters of the new Ibero-African Business Committee, with the aim of promoting
business relationships with the neighboring continent.
The Spanish Confederation of Business Organizations (CEOE) will be in charge of developing this new body, which will offer a space in which business organizations and companies from the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) and Africa can have an open and multilateral forum.
In this way, communication, dialogue and common business development will be favored, in order to promote, strengthen and establish
business synergies between the Iberian territory and the African continent.
The official act of signing the protocol was held this Thursday at the headquarters of the Presidency of the Government in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and was chaired by Torres and by the president of CEOE, Antonio Garamendi. The appointment has also brought together the Minister of Economy, Knowledge and Employment, Elena Máñez; and the president of the Canarian Confederation of Entrepreneurs (CCE), Agustín Manrique de Lara.
Ángel Víctor Torres signs the protocol in the official ceremony held this Thursday.
In this regard, the Canarian president described this initiative as a "further step to implement a strategy of unity in Ibero-African relations", to which the geostrategic position of the islands and the "important relations" already existing with Africa contribute.
At the same time, he valued the choice of the Canary Islands for the location of this office, which he related to the
links that the archipelago has with Africa. At this point, he recalled that this relationship is already recognized in the Statute of Autonomy renewed in 2018 and is enhanced by the existence of a General Directorate for Relations with Africa.
The president of the Canary Islands stated that the archipelago is currently one of the Spanish regions with the most close trade relations with Africa. «
Canary Islandsdue to its strategic position,
You have to lead and achieve achievements in this relationship that make changes in society possible.. One example is this business office,” she added.
For his part, the president of CEOE, Antonio Garamendi, defended the presence of this office in the islands and valued the management of the pandemic carried out by the Canary Islands and the public support provided from the islands to the companies affected by the crisis, especially with the distribution of
€1,144 million direct help.
Regarding these aspects, Garamendi maintained that “the Canary Islands have businessmen with a very special interest in what Africa means, in relations with Africa. In addition, due to the experience of Canarian businessmen, especially with an important part of Africa, then what better than the Canary Islands to lead this project to a certain extent».
The head of CEOE also had words of appreciation for "the good management of the aid in the entire area of hospitality and tourism that was bravely managed from the Canary Islands" and alluded to the "sad" consequences of the volcano in La Palma, which has already "happened" and that
Now "it's time to rebuild", in which "businessmen are also with the island". Garamendi was in favor of "part of the European funds for recovery also reaching La Palma", an island "very precious and loved by all of Spain".
In order to ensure the proper development and functioning of the operations of the office that is going to be established in the Canary Islands, the parties will constitute a
Business Monitoring Commission, led by CEOE and formed by at least two representatives of CEOE and two representatives of the Canarian Confederation of Entrepreneurs. Both confederations plan to invite representatives of the Government of the Canary Islands, other public or private institutions and business organizations or companies from the Iberian Peninsula or Africa to the meetings of this Business Monitoring Commission, if they consider that the purpose of the meeting could result from their interest to them.
