A business delegation from Spain was hosted by Malta Enterprise for a business forum and networking sessions that were aimed at providing further information about Malta and the opportunities that entrepreneurs wishing to do business in the country can avail themselves of.
The Spanish delegation, which was led by Mr Joan Canals from the Spanish Confederation of Business Organisations (CEOE) and H.E. the Ambassador of Spain in Malta Felipe de la Morena, comprised around 30 representatives of companies operating in sectors such as ICT, financial services, aviation, energy, food and beverage, industrial components, sports, construction and security installations.
Minister for Finance, the Economy and Investment Tonio Fenech opened the business forum. Presentations were delivered by Malta Enterprise and the Spanish Confederation of Business Organisations to give details about the business environment and the benefits of doing business in the respective countries.
A series of one-to-one meetings between the representatives of the Spanish companies with around 60 Maltese companies ensued, through which the entrepreneurs had the opportunity to establish new contacts and discuss prospective business collaborations.
While in Malta, the business delegation – which was organised by Malta Enterprise with the support of the Embassy of Spain in Malta, the Spanish Confederation of Business Organisations, the Malta-Spain Chamber of Commerce, and the Embassy of Malta in Spain – also paid a courtesy visit to the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry.
Malta and Spain have strong historical ties, with trade exchanges on the upward trend in the past year and a sizeable Spanish investment in Malta. Various initiatives are also being taken to lead to the strengthening of commercial ties, both in terms of trade and investment.
Amongst other concrete actions, Malta Enterprise appointed a resident regional leader for Spain and also took a number of initiatives over the past year - including participation in specialised fairs, FDI promotion events and the publication of articles in leading media - and is also looking forward to organising further initiatives including an outgoing business delegation to Spain in the coming year.