Faro is hosting the Iberian Summit today (October 23), headlined by the presence of the heads of government of Portugal and Spain
Faro mayor Rogério Bacalhau has called on Portugal and Spain to work together to tackle drought and create a railway link between Faro, Huelva and Seville.
His requests were made during the 35th Iberian Summit, which is taking place in the Algarve capital today (October 23) and has brought together the heads of governments of Portugal and Spain, as well as 12 Portuguese and 11 Spanish ministers.
“It is a source of great pride and honour to have the unique, and perhaps unrepeatable opportunity to welcome Luís Montenegro and Pedro Sánchez in our borough,” Bacalhau said at the ceremony that kicked off the summit. “This is naturally a symbolic moment for the municipality of Faro.”
After handing the keys to the city to the Portuguese PM and Spanish President, the mayor declared that Montenegro and Sánchez will be “permanently and indelibly linked to our city. From now on, Faro is also your city.”
Bacalhau also expressed his confidence in the success of the summit, which he said will “strengthen the excellent and historical bilateral relations between Portugal and Spain and help provide joint responses to the many challenges that we have ahead.”
“It is our very history as countries that drives us towards the need for a strong partnership and cooperation in order to keep Portugal and Spain at the frontline of a changing world,” the mayor added.
Rogério Bacalhau used the opportunity to focus on two subjects which he believes Portugal and Spain need to address together, starting with the common issue of drought.
“Portugal and Spain are already working and must continue to work together and in coordination, (…) in order to guarantee the sustainability of such a precious resource for the coming decades,” he said.
Another issue that he does not want to see forgotten is his calls for a railway link between the Algarvian capital and Seville. “Apart from the strategic importance of the high-speed link between Lisbon and Madrid, and Porto and Vigo, which we believe are urgent, it would also be fair to move forward with a railway link between Faro, Huelva and Seville,” the mayor insisted.
“By doing so, we will be contributing to the future and the economic, social and environmental development of the Euroregion, as well as the cohesion of our territories with the rest of the (Iberian) peninsula and Europe,” he stated.
The summit will continue at 1pm with the signing of bilateral agreements, one of which is expected to pave the way for the long-awaited bridge between Alcoutim in the Algarve and Sanlúcar de Guadiana in Andalusia.
The summit will end with a lunch between the two delegations, although Montenegro and Sánchez are still due to attend a business conference at the University of the Algarve at 4pm.
