Latin America a “top priority” for President Rajoy’s foreign policy

Wednesday, January 11th 2012 - 06:29 UTC

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Rajoy, “name me a Galician family that does not have a relative in Latin America?

Spanish president Mariano Rajoy said that Latin America is a “top priority” of his administration’s foreign policy and his target is to have the “best possible” relations with the Ibero-American community.

“For me relations with Latin America are a capital priority, which I will never give up”, said Rajoy in an interview with the Spanish news agency EFE, one of his first since taking office last December.

Rajoy revealed that this had been his first message and instruction to his Foreign Affairs minister Jose Manuel García-Margallo.

The Spanish Conservative president admitted the significance of Europe for Spain, the geographic framework and economic interdependency, but also emphasized in promoting and increasing relations with Latam to the benefit of “all citizens”.

“I think there are so many things we can do together in a world which every day becomes more open, every day more global”.

But besides economic and investment links, Rajoy also referred to the numerous links of Spain with Latin America, a region with which it shares history, language, culture and families and to which “many, many” Spaniards have travelled in their lives and in different moments of history.

The conservative leader then recalled that both his wife and him are from Galicia, north west Spain and “I don’t know one single Galician that does not have a relative or himself, who have not visited Venezuela, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Mexico and what about Buenos Aires which so many of us consider the fifth Galician province”.

Rajoy also mentioned that Spain is the second leading investor in Latin America.

Categories: Economy, Investments, Politics, International, Latin America, Mercosur.

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ChrisR
“For me relations with Latin America are a capital priority, which I will never give up”, said Rajoy”

I bet, he needs the capital and LatAm had better give it up!
Jan 11th, 2012 - 01:29 pm 0
Fido Dido
“I bet, he needs the capital and LatAm had better give it up! ”

What are you talking about. Rajoy (like any other nation in Europe) wants to export themself, with goods, out of this mess to Latin America (and not only young people who are leaving Spain for Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Uruguay), mainly to Brazil that has the biggest consumer market and still growing. What I bet with you is that he will be very disappointed like the other nations in the EU. If you want to do business there, you need to produce there. Like many EU nations, suddenly they (re)discover Latin America again, we all know why, but also can see if you pay attention, that it doesn't work as they thought, since many nations in Latin America (mainly in South America) diversify their trading partners plus if you read their policy careful, you understand that nobody outside the mercosul/mercosur has top priority, though it's important to have good relationship with all nations in continent America and outside.
Jan 11th, 2012 - 03:30 pm 0
ChrisR
2 Fido Dido

Do you really, really, believe that Mercosur works? I don't know anyone else who does.

Do you really believe Old Turkey Neck is going to turn down any opportunity to earn USD?
Jan 11th, 2012 - 09:37 pm 0

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