INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
The royal couple also to presided over Monday's inaugural meeting of the Spain Business Forum
17.03.09 - 09:33 -
Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia examine an historical document during a visit to the New York Public Library in New York. They viewed a selection of treasured items from its collections, including the unique first Spanish edition (1493) of Christopher Columbus' letter describing his first voyage. / AP Photo / Stephen Chernin
Prince Felipe on Monday encouraged Spanish businessmen to intensify their presence in foreign markets with new products and alliances, as well as to explore other strategies to broaden cooperation with U.S. firms.
Felipe and his wife, Princess Letizia, on Monday attended a luncheon of the Spain-U.S. Chamber of Commerce at New York's Metropolitan Club as part of an intense business program organized by Spain's ICEX foreign trade institute.
The royal couple also to presided over Monday's inaugural meeting of the Spain Business Forum in conjunction with the launch of the "Made in/by Spain" initiative.
In his speech at the luncheon, Prince Felipe warned that the possibilities of success for all businesses of necessity depend on their internationalization and their concentration of their efforts on variables such as "quality, design, innovation, technology, branding, the services associated with sales and communication."
After praising the Spanish firms that already have a presence in the United States for those "key factors," Felipe said he was grateful for the way in which the Spain-U.S. Chamber of Commerce has contributed to increasing Spanish exports by 80 percent over the past 10 years.
Investment
During the luncheon, Spain's minister for Industry, Tourism and Commerce, Miguel Sebastian, said that Spanish companies have invested $50 billion in the United States, and bilateral trade stands at $24 billion.
During the luncheon, Spain's minister for Industry, Tourism and Commerce, Miguel Sebastian, said that Spanish companies have invested $50 billion in the United States, and bilateral trade stands at $24 billion.
The crown prince recalled that in recent decades, Spanish firms in the industrial and services sectors have managed to grow, compete and establish themselves in new markets "with unprecedented success."
Earlier, Felipe and Letizia visited the New York Public Library, where they met with the main U.S. distributors and importers of books in Spanish with the aim of analyzing the prospects for greater penetration by Spanish publishing products in the United States.
