I am immensely grateful to have been appointed Chairman of the Spain India Council Foundation, and it is with great enthusiasm that I accept this new responsibility. I am utterly convinced that India is a crucial market for Spain’s business, culture and technology interests, among many other fields.
This Council Foundation forms part of the network of Foundations implemented by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation for most priority markets within Spain’s foreign policy. Acciona has been part of this initiative since the Foundation was created in 2009 to coincide with the landmark event of the first ever official state visit by an Indian President to Spain.
I am deeply proud that through this Foundation, Acciona is contributing, alongside prominent Spanish officials and members of civil society, to aligning Spain with a true Asian powerhouse. The continent of Asia is one of the key drivers of global economic growth and a crucial component of the global power balance. Our aim is to continue to position our political, cultural and economic image in this region, which boasts the strongest future prospects on the planet.
India is a crucial international market. It is becoming increasingly important within the global landscape and certainly holds undeniable influence within its own region. It holds great prestige in the field of technology innovation and R&D, participating increasingly actively in global technology events and playing a powerful role in efforts to identify solutions to the global challenges we face in the early 21st century.
There is no doubt in my mind that Spain and India will cross paths constantly as we move into the future, and it is undoubtedly in our best interests to work on forging solid, long-term policies with this market. At the Foundation, our goal is to ensure that India is one of the main focal points of Spain’s foreign policy in Asia for the years ahead.
Our Foundation has been working for almost a decade to align Spain’s interests with those of this emerging 21st century superpower, and that has been our clear mission since the outset. My intention is further our efforts towards this two-fold goal of cementing the Foundation’s position and defending the interests that each of us wishes to pursue in the Indian market.
I would like to thank my predecessor, Antonio Escámez, for his outstanding contribution in this area. With the support of his Vice Chairs and the other Patrons, he has helped make this Foundation what it is today: a key component of Spain’s extremely successful public and economic diplomacy and Public-Private Partnership strategy.
Juan Ignacio Entrecanales