Representatives from Spanish and Australian institutions shared insights on bilateral relations and future opportunities | View the Program Summary in PDF
As is customary in the Australian Leaders Programs, the members of the Board of Trustees of the Spain-Australia Council Foundation held a meeting with the Australian guests with the aim of presenting their respective companies and institutions and, in a relaxed atmosphere, engaging with the Leaders in discussions on current affairs and the relationship between both countries.
The meeting took place during a luncheon hosted by Acciona, which currently holds the presidency of the Foundation. Among the entities represented on the Foundation’s Board of Trustees were Grupo ACS, Iberdrola, Madrid City Council, Navantia, RMIT, the Spanish Chamber of Commerce, and the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation; Economy, Trade and Enterprise; and Education, Vocational Training and Sport.
In his opening remarks, José Eugenio Salarich, speaking on behalf of the Foundation’s president, highlighted that in recent years Spain and Australia have strengthened their relationship and, at the same time, the Spain-Australia Council Foundation has also grown, “identifying new areas of collaboration and fostering mutual understanding.” He also underlined the growing importance of the Asia-Pacific region, which in turn reinforces the relevance of the Foundation’s work.
Next, the Leaders introduced themselves and shared a few words. Matthew Knott mentioned that in 2009 he spent a year studying in Barcelona and was delighted to return and see how much the country has changed. Latika M. Bourke, for her part, noted that although she lives in London and has travelled to Spain several times, “in the ten years I’ve been in Europe, I’ve never learned as much as I did in ten hours of the Leaders Program,” and stressed that the relationship between Spain and Australia has great potential. John McDuling then expressed his gratitude to the Spain-Australia Council Foundation for its hospitality and his admiration for Madrid and the “excellent infrastructure” developed by Spanish companies.
Afterwards, representatives from the various companies and institutions on the Board of Trustees introduced themselves and explained their activities and links with Australia, in the case of Spanish entities, or with Spain, in the case of Australian ones. During the luncheon, trustees and Leaders discussed a range of topics related to politics, economics and current affairs. Among other issues, they analysed the role of companies in the bilateral relationship and emphasized the importance of companies and institutions organizing high-level meetings. As José Eugenio Salarich pointed out, the visit to Madrid by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in 2022 was of great significance in strengthening mutual understanding between the two countries.
Another topic of discussion was the ongoing negotiations between Australia and the European Union for a Free Trade Agreement, which have not yet succeeded. In this regard, all agreed that once the agreement is reached, trade and exchange will be highly beneficial for both parties. “There are many areas in which Australia is more advanced than Europe, and Australia also has much to learn in others.”
Meeting Attendees:
José Eugenio Salarich, Director of International Relations, Acciona
Alberte González Patiño, Communications Director, Acciona
Matthew Magee, Director of International Communications. Acciona
Gabriela Sebastián de Erice, Director of External Relations, Acciona
María José Rodríguez González, Senior Vice President Strategy and Business Development, ACS Digital & Energy
José Oriol, CEO and Chairman of Iberdrola Renovables Internacional
Elodie Calmels, Head of International Communications, Iberdrola
María del Rocío Picón Rodríguez, Deputy director General of Cities and Countries, Madrid City Hall
Laura Mayoral, Deputy director General for Southeast Asia, Pacific and the Philipinnes, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation
María Aguado, Deputy Assistant Director General - D.D.G. for Europe, Asia and Oceania, Ministry of Economy, Commerce and Business
Javier Torres Hernández, Deputy Assistant Director of International and Institutional Relations and Mobility and Training Programs, Ministry of Education, Professional Training and Sport
Carolina Jiménez, Communications and Marketing director, Navantia
Javier Grávalos, Innovation Partnerships Senior Manager, RMIT
Luis Rodríguez, Representative of the spanish Chamber of Commerce
