I would like to start by offering my brotherly and warmest greetings to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, my dear brother, His Majesty King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
It is with great satisfaction that I have come, once again, to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia where I have always been welcomed with the greatest hospitality and affection. This affection is mutual. I feel that this land and its people grow deeper in my heart with every visit.
A large official delegation together with some of the most relevant representatives of the Spanish business community accompany me in this trip. This delegation remarks the importance we attach to our relations with your brotherly Kingdom.
Spain has deep ties with the Arab world and feels great admiration for its peoples. We celebrate your success and prosperity and we share your problems as our own.
I would like to highlight that Saudi Arabia is a respected and essential country for the stability of this part of the world.
I have had the privilege to witness how this Kingdom has reached an extraordinary level of economic growth and a wider role within the international community.
Saudi Arabia is of fundamental importance in the Middle East and in the Arab and Islamic worlds. You have become a key player, with a prominent role in the G20 and other international forums, and your involvement is essential to global governance.
Your country actively contributes to the stability of international energy markets and is committed to an ambitious program of modernization and development. This policy is placing you among the most highly developed economies in the world.
The strong ties between Spain and Saudi Arabia have enabled our trade and economic relations to grow considerably in recent years.
I am especially gratified to see that the excellence and international prestige of Spanish companies have paved the way for them to play an active role in leading infrastructure projects in this country.
Railways, urban transport, petrochemical complexes, fertilizer plants or desalination installations, among others, are being designed by Spanish engineers and built by Spanish firms in association with Saudi entrepreneurs.
These enterprises, which are a showcase for progress and modernity, are important for a further and stronger development in Saudi Arabia.
Spain is fully engaged in the success of these projects and we thank you for your trust and confidence in our companies in carrying them through. Their implementation will consolidate the strategic relationship already established between our two countries.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Spain is still suffering a painfully high unemployment rate, but the economic crisis that has hit us in recent years is now being overcome.
The efforts of all Spaniards, together with a strict policy of fiscal consolidation, ambitious structural reforms and a far-reaching reform of the financial sector have been paramount to reach this positive outcome.
Today, investors at home and abroad have full confidence in the prosperous future of our economy.
Now, Spain has strengthened very significantly its external sector. Spanish exports are growing sharply and Spanish companies are contributing to the development of many countries in the world.
This framework lays the foundations for our respective business communities to further develop their relations in order to provide a mutual benefit and a prosperous future for our citizens.
I would like to finish my remarks by thanking all of you for your commitment in building a strong strategic partnership between our two countries. I encourage you to dedicate your earnest efforts to this worthy endeavor.
Thank you very much.