The Maltese-Spanish Chamber of Commerce has been officially recognised by the Spanish authorities and the president of the organisation believes the opportunities for increased business between the two countries “are endless”.
Felipe Navarro Lopez de Chicheri told The Sunday Times of Malta that the Chamber intends to focus mainly on those sectors in which both Malta and Spain have a lot to offer each other, namely tourism, financial services and the construction industry.
Felipe Navarro Lopez de Chicheri: “Malta and Spain enjoy a centuries-old relationship, we share values, we share history and we share our beloved Mediterranean sea.”However, he added, there certainly existed opportunities for growth and cooperation in such wide-ranging and diverse areas such as gaming, food and beverages and real estate.
Mr Navarro Lopez said there existed a desire among the Chamber’s founding members to offer Maltese and Spanish companies a point of reference when they came to look for and establish business connections, hence the setting up of the Maltese Spanish Chamber of Commerce.
“Malta and Spain enjoy a centuries-old relationship, we share values, we share history and we share our beloved Mediterranean sea which, far from constituting a frontier, has always served as a link of cultures and commerce,” he said.
He added that when the Chamber was first founded in 2010, it was becoming evident that the traditional ties between Malta and Spain were getting stronger, Spanish companies were taking an ever-increasing interest in Malta, while Maltese companies and individuals were beginning to fully appreciate the opportunities that Spain offered.
“In this context it was only logical that an institution such as the MSCC would become a reality,” he said.
Mr Navarro Lopez said the Chamber has managed to become, in a very short period of time, a stepping stone for Spanish companies wishing to do business in Malta and for Maltese companies wishing to do business with Spain; a first port of call when it comes to ascertaining first-hand information relating to any of the two countries.
“Our aim to give members a hand when establishing commercial relations on both sides of the Mare Nostrum, to provide a friendly atmosphere where members can liaise, exchange points of view and do business together in a more, shall we say, Mediterranean manner,” he said.
He said some of the Chamber’s objectives include the promotion and development of industrial, financial and tourist exchanges between the two countries and to help facilitate entry into the Spanish and Maltese markets, as well as the exchange of information.
“In short, our aim is to continue being the official nexus between both markets.”
Mr Navarro Lopez said that following the organisation’s recent recognition as an official Chamber of Commerce by the Spanish authorities, the Chamber will organise trade missions as well as lectures on the economy, finance and particular sectors of interest.
“At the moment we enjoy a fluid exchange with a number of regional chambers and trade associations in Spain and, of course, with the Malta Chamber of Commerce. These, and other connections, have proven essential in the past and will be instrumental in the coming months and years,” he said.
Regarding the funding of the Maltese-Spanish Chamber of Commerce, he pointed out that the MSCC is a non-profit organisation that mainly relies on the annual contributions of its members.
He added: “We are very lucky to have a most proactive and engaging executive committee, experts in their fields, both Maltese and Spanish, from a variety of sectors, whose continuous work and commitment have brought us to where we are today.
“As Aristotle said: ‘The whole is greater than the sum of its parts’.”
Spanish Ambassador Consuelo Femenia also welcomed the official recognition of the Maltese-Spanish Chamber of Commerce. She told The Sunday Times of Malta: “The establishment of the Chamber is a significant milestone, a long-awaited qualitative change in our commercial and economic relations. The Chamber has now the capacity to be the point of contact for any company or business interested in our bilateral trade. It has gained the capacity to interact with Spanish associations, and I trust that, through the leadership of its board, it will increase its visibility among Maltese businessmen too, will multiply the number of associates and will play a relevant role in identifying areas of complementarity in our economies.
“I would like to commend the efforts of those who have helped this happen and would like to invite anyone to get in touch with its representatives to join in and enquire about the services that the Chamber can offer.”
The institutional members of the council of the Maltese-Spanish Chamber of Commerce are as follows: The Ambassador of Spain to Malta (permanent member); Mapfre Middlesea plc; Credence Corporate and Advisory Services; Advanced Consulting Network; Malta Public Transport; Carant Trading Ltd/Bigbon Group; World Express Logistics Ltd; Francis J. Vassallo & Associates; Lombard Bank plc; Medichem Manufacturing Ltd; PricewaterhouseCoopers; Michele Peresso Group of Companies; Express Trailers; Reganosa Malta Ltd; Alberta; Valar Securities Ltd; M. Demajo Group; Richmoore & Anderson Ltd; IBM España SA; and The Beer Venture Ltd.