I
am delighted to be once again in Dubai, and to pay this Official Visit to the United Arab Emirates.
I would like to express my appreciation for your kind welcome, and for providing me with the opportunity to share this working breakfast with a distinguished entrepreneurial representation from our two countries.
We are all aware that the U.A.E. and Spain have experienced extraordinary changes in the last decades.
Dubai enjoys impressive growth rates, promoting development projects that deserve deep admiration all over the world.
At the same time, Spain has become a highly open, dynamic and modern country, growing steadily through a far-reaching internationalization of its economy and its companies.
In fact, Spain, as the world's eighth economy in GNP terms, is an active Member of the European Union, a well known actor in international economy and an attractive country for most prominent businessmen and investors.
I am sure that today we will be able to explore the huge prospects opening up for new joint initiatives for Spanish and Dubai companies.
Therefore, this meeting is a very significant step forward, to enhance our bilateral economic relations, and to bring the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Spain closer together.
I look very much forward to strengthening our old friendship and bilateral cooperation and, at the same time, to making Spain a better known country in this region.
Thank you very much.