The Ambassador of Egypt invites Cantabrian companies to strengthen collaboration ties
"From Atalayar magazine we want to build bridges between cultures". These were the words of Javier Fernández Arribas, director of the magazine Atalayar, at the start of the seminar "Public diplomacy and cultural cities, shared experiences", organised at the Palacio de la Magdalena by Santander City Council and this media outlet and focused on relations between Spain and Egypt.
Fernández Arribas, who opened the event together with the Ambassador of Egypt, Youssef Mekkawy, and the Director General of Culture, Eva Fernández, stressed his conviction that understanding and coexistence can be achieved through knowledge, especially at a time when the international scene is very convulsive, and therefore advocated explaining and analysing what is happening in countries such as Egypt, taking into account the historical and cultural ties between Spain and Arab countries.
Relations which, as the Egyptian ambassador pointed out, date back to 1939, and not only in the political field, but also in the economic, social and cultural fields. Youssef Mekkawy highlighted the collaboration between the two countries and offered different data such as Spanish investments in 2021, which amounted to 225 million euros and which were destined to sectors such as transport, industry, energy, services, tourism, agriculture or information technology. In total, he stressed that they collaborate with more than a thousand companies.
The ambassador spoke of the efforts made by Spain and Egypt to create benefits for both countries, such as a platform with some 25 companies where joint proposals and projects are put forward. In this sense, he encouraged Cantabrian companies to join this council. "We encourage not only large companies, but also small and medium-sized companies in Cantabria," said the ambassador, who said that they will organise a mission with Cantabrian businessmen to visit Egypt and see the possibilities and potential offered by their country.
Finally, and after also highlighting the work of Spanish researchers and universities in different regions of Egypt, he described Spain "as an excellent and reliable partner that will always help us to achieve our objectives".
The ambassador took advantage of his first visit to Santander to greet and meet with various authorities such as the Minister of the Presidency, Interior, Justice and External Action, Paula Fernández, the mayoress, Gema Igual, and businessmen such as the vice-president of CEOE, Miguel Ángel Cuerno, and Nicolás Baland, of the Consorcio Group. He also visited the Environmental Hydraulics Institute and the Botín Centre, both of which were praised by the ambassador.
After the opening ceremony, in which Eva Fernández also thanked the ambassador for his presence in Cantabria, a presentation was given by Sabah Abdel-Razek, director of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, who explained the history of this museum and its new facilities; and two round tables, the first on "Antiquity and prehistory as a cultural brand" which, moderated by Eva Fernández, was attended by the Egyptologist Miriam Seco, the Egyptologist Hassan Sellim, and the director of MUPAC, Roberto Ontañón; and the second on "Libraries and cities", an event moderated by the journalist of the Diario Montañés, Guillermo Balbona, with the participation of Paz Delgado, from the Menéndez Pelayo Library, and Javier Martín Domínguez, correspondent and former president of the International Press Club, in which the role of libraries was praised, the figure of Menéndez Pelayo, the importance of Egypt in books and the need for administrations to work together to enhance the value of libraries, in the case of the Menéndez Pelayo Library, by dedicating more economic and personnel resources to it, said Paz Delgado.