​Mariano Rajoy highlights that Spanish companies in Uruguay have created more than 24,000 jobs

2017.4.25

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Spanish Embassy, Montevideo (Uruguay)

During his speech, the President of the Government praised the work of those Spanish companies that "have more recently arrived" in Uruguay. Their presence in this South American country has contributed both "to the development and the prosperity of this sister nation" and to opening up "a new phase in the Spanish economy", characterised by an ever increasingly presence in the foreign trade sector, explained the President of the Government.

Spanish investment in Uruguay

Mariano Rajoy claimed that, at present, the almost 100 Spanish companies present in Uruguay "are well respected and appreciated by the Uruguayan authorities and, in general, by all the people of Uruguay" since they have created more than 24,000 jobs.

He also pointed out that Spain is "the second largest investor in Uruguay" and the leading investor in the services sector, a sector that has an accumulated investment "amounting to some 3.5 billion dollars".

Mariano Rajoy expressed his conviction that, in the coming years, Spanish companies will continue "to contribute to improving priority sectors" for Uruguay. "I am aware of the interest of the authorities in decisively improving infrastructures. We want to be part of that".

Greater weighting of foreign trade sector in Spanish GDP

Mariano Rajoy added that "a great part of the economic growth and job creation present in Spain at this time is due to the expansion of our companies abroad". He remarked that this is a positive fact, above all after having suffered "the worst economic crisis" in decades and coming out of it thanks to the "courage, determination, desire and talent" of the Spanish people.

In this regard, the President of the Government stated that the Spanish foreign trade sector now represents almost 35% of our GDP, 10 points higher than before the crisis.

Spaniards in Uruguay

Pool Moncloa/Diego CrespoMariano Rajoy "personally" thanked those Spaniards resident in Uruguay "for having brought our best values to this land". They have always managed "to maintain their ties with their motherland, Spain". Evidence of this is the more than 40 Spanish centres and institutions spread around the whole of the country, he added.

These Spaniards, he said, are those who have "decisively" contributed to building a "model" country, as indeed is Uruguay.

Mariano Rajoy expressly mentioned the Hogar Español because its members all "symbolise, better than anything, the brotherhood that exists between our two countries".

Wonderful bilateral relations

The President of the Government placed great emphasis on the "wonderful" relations that exist between the two countries at all levels (institutional, business and personal). "We share everything with Uruguay", he pointed out and it would be "good" for us "to increasingly share more things at more levels".

After stressing that Uruguay "is a country respected throughout the world", Mariano Rajoy recalled that on 31 December 2016, it took over the post that Spain left vacant on the United Nations Security Council.

Lastly, the President of the Government also highlighted the work carried out by Spanish cooperation in Uruguay, and congratulated its workers. In fact, "Montevideo has become the centre of Spanish cooperation in South America", he pointed out.