Good morning,
I would like to welcome you all to this Invest in Spain Summit. It is the first time our country has organized a summit of this kind: a space for face-to-face dialogue between high-profile foreign companies and the national authorities responsible for designing the framework within which they operate. All of this, with one clear aim: promoting new investments in Spain.
The companies that join us here today have a quality in common: they are all unmistakably global ventures that are firmly committed to internationalization. Many of your companies have grown and thrived in an economic environment of multilateralism, openness to the world, and technological progress; in a rule-based international economic system that has offered a fair degree of certainty, stability and freedom necessary to do business almost anywhere on the planet.
However, today’s geopolitical context is very much testing the ability of even the most internationalized business groups to react and adapt. Because the rules of the game are changing, and changing so rapidly that even the best prepared are facing serious challenges.
In recent years, vastly different shocks have shaken the global economy, one after the other: not long after the financial crisis came Brexit; then the Covid-19 pandemic; bottlenecks in production chains and the resulting inflation; the war of aggression against Ukraine; and a resurgence of instability, open conflict and dire humanitarian needs in the Middle East. An additional challenge has now emerged, a tariff war that is completely reshaping the global economic system, as we knew it.
Faced with this new situation of greater uncertainty, fragmentation, isolation and volatility, the best course of action is to join forces, working together resolutely and purposefully to reach negotiated solutions. Within the EU, and particularly in Spain, we are taking important steps to protect our production structure, and especially in favour of those exporters and importers that may be more severely affected.
In this new context, it is vital to strengthen the EU’s internal market, making it more cohesive and increasing our strategic autonomy. However, at the same time, we must not abandon our openness, our identity and tradition (of proven success) as advocates of free and fair trade: we must work towards robust trade partnerships that truly drive trade and investment flows to greater and unprecedented levels, by also incorporating new actors and guaranteeing the expansion of benefits for all. One excellent example is the EU-Mercosur agreement, which is fundamental for Spain and in our view for the whole of Europe.
"...this Invest in Spain Summit comes at a critical juncture, defined by a very challenging global context. This is why I would like to convey to you the following two key messages, first, a polite but genuine one: you are of course very welcome in Spain, and second, one that stems from both your and our interest: here, in our country, you will find a robust, reliable and stable response to your needs..."
Ladies and gentlemen,
This Invest in Spain Summit comes at a critical juncture, defined by a very challenging global context. This is why I would like to convey to you the following two key messages:
- 1st, a polite but genuine one: you are of course very welcome in Spain.
- 2nd, one that stems from both your and our interest: here, in our country, you will find a robust, reliable and stable response to your needs.
Spain stands firm in its commitment to openness in the world, in international relations; guided by the values of freedom, democracy and rule of law, as well as by the EU’s aims of competitiveness and cohesion . These principles define us and guide our relationship with the rest of the world, doing our honest best to ensure a stable and prosperous environment of trust and confidence both for companies and for people.
Added to this is the strong performance of our companies, which are achieving record levels of exports of both goods and services. The number of companies that are actually active in export continues to grow year after year. Exports are higher than ever, clearly reflecting the improved competitiveness of our companies, which are in leading positions in multiple markets and sectors, including the most advanced, the most productive and those that offer the greatest added value. Two good examples: Spain is a world leader in renewable energies and is at the forefront of fibre-optic communications, with an extraordinary communications infrastructure.
As regards foreign investment, Spain remains one of the most attractive destinations worldwide. More than 18,000 foreign-owned companies are operating in and from our country, they are well established; and in just 10 years, the stock of FDI received by Spain has increased by more than 80%.
However, when we talk about openness, we understand it extends beyond all of this. It also reflects our great capacity to attract tourism. Spain is the world’s 2nd most popular tourist destination. In 2024, we welcomed none less than 94 million visitors, a number practically twice our population. This success also pays tribute to the strength of our business fabric and the expertise of our human capital.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Spain has one of the most attractive domestic markets in the EU. Not only does it represent a land of opportunity for companies seeking to grow; it is also a strategic platform for entering 3rd-country markets. Our privileged geostrategic position favours access to markets outside the EU. From Spain, it is easier to gain access to the Mediterranean, North Africa, the Middle East and, above all, Latin America and the Caribbean. In fact, Spain offers highly significant competitive advantages for investment in Latin America. We share ─largely─ language, the same business culture and there is a significant presence of Spanish companies in the region, facilitating trade and investment.
In short, Spain remains committed to an open and international outreach, to multilateralism and to international cooperation, as pillars of economic growth, with the conviction that openness to the world outside our borders not only benefits our companies, but also generates prosperity for all.
I would like to conclude by expressing my most sincere gratitude to all those that have made this Invest in Spain Summit possible. This is a decisive moment for the international community, a moment of great complexity that demands a generous leadership, with a clear and steady vision and an honest and loyal capacity for dialogue; and precisely that, dialogue, is the raison d’être of this summit and will for certain pave the way towards new opportunities for us all.
Thank you for joining us and I wish you some highly productive meetings and a great deal of shared success.