Business lunch with the Ambassador of Spain to Australia

The patrons of the Spain Australia Council Foundation were invited by Chairman José Manuel Revuelta to Navantia’s headquarters, where they had lunch with the current Ambassador of Spain to Australia, Manuel Cacho. Interestingly, the diplomat was SACF’s Secretary General in 2012-2013.

An expert in Spain-Australia bilateral relations, the Ambassador shared his opinion on the current opportunities offered by Australia to Spanish companies with the patrons and gave an overview of the country’s political and economic situation, as well as the position it currently occupies on the global map of economic and commercial interests.

Manuel Cacho had a positive message to offer the companies in terms of their interests and the political future in Australia, a field in which there is currently a degree of uncertainty after a close presidential election. Given the country’s size, contracts and trade agreements are mainly negotiated with the different states, so the election results are not actually excessively decisive. The Ambassador also listed the specificities of the Australian political system, and his observations gave rise to a fruitful exchange on the political parallels between the two countries.

The role played by Brexit in the elections in the two countries was also analysed, as well as the repercussions for Spain and Australia and how it could re-position them on the global map of commercial and economic relations. During the meeting, it was made clear that Australia is still interested in having the EU as an ally, and the best example of this is the current negotiation of a Free Trade Agreement.

The Ambassador of Spain to Australia also emphasised the challenges Australia must face in the short and medium term, such as consolidating its economic growth in the current climate of instability, its dependency on Chinese economy and its progression from a commodity-based economy to a more technological, innovative country.