SPAIN THIS WEEK

Wednesday, 3 May 2017

29/04/2017 Mariano Rajoy argues that, with political stability, Spain can recover its GDP and create 2 million new jobs by 2020 The President of the Government, Mariano Rajoy, stressed the importance of maintaining political stability. He recalled that Spain "has gone through a monumental crisis" and that, now that unemployment has fallen by half a million people in the last year, "we can create 2 million more jobs by 2020" and recover GDP; what our country "now needs is to build".

26/04/2017 "We will work hard to ensure that a political consensus is reached before the end of the year" on the trade agreement between the EU and MERCOSUR", says Mariano Rajoy After meeting with the President of Uruguay, Tabaré Vázquez, the President of the Government, Mariano Rajoy, declared that Spain is a country with both a European and an American vocation and that these two regions "are hubs of stability and prosperity". He also acknowledged the work of aid workers and called for "the final word of the people of Venezuela to be returned to them".

26/04/2017 Spanish companies can bring their extensive experience to strategic projects in Uruguay, says Mariano Rajoy The President of the Government, Mariano Rajoy, is committed to intensifying economic and trade relations with Uruguay, a country which he described as stable with a high level of transparency and legal security. He also stressed that the Spanish economy is growing because Spain is producing and exporting.

25/04/2017 ​Mariano Rajoy highlights that Spanish companies in Uruguay have created more than 24,000 jobs During a meeting with the Spanish community in Montevideo, the President of the Government, Mariano Rajoy, underlined the fact that Spain is the second leading investor in Uruguay. He also spoke about the "brotherhood" that unites the two countries, which is evidenced by the fact that the capital of Uruguay is now the centre of Spanish cooperation in South America.

25/04/2017 "Spain commits to Brazil", says Mariano Rajoy At the inauguration of the Spain-Brazil Business Meeting, the President of the Government, Mariano Rajoy, encouraged the Government of Brazil to continue with its economic reforms, similar to those that have led Spain to generate wealth, create jobs and well-being. Moreover, he highlighted the "great attraction" of Spain to Brazilian companies and investors.

24/04/2017 "The partnership opportunities" between Spain and Brazil should be harnessed, says Mariano Rajoy The President of the Government, Mariano Rajoy, invited the figures from politics and business, as well as civil society from Brazil and Spain, attending the 1st Spain-Brazil Forum to "encourage efforts and mobilise the necessary resources in the fields of economics, politics, academia and culture to work on promoting business between the European Union and MERCOSUR".

24/04/2017 Mariano Rajoy stresses that ELLA-LINK cable "symbolises special ties that unite Europe and America" During the event to launch the underwater ELLA-LINK telecommunications cable that took place in the city of Sao Paulo, the President of the Government, Mariano Rajoy, explained that the new connection will reduce the time to transmit data by 40%, as well as improve the quality, reliability and confidentiality of communications between Ibero-America and Europe.

24/04/2017 Spain and Brazil confirm their commitment to push through the agreement between MERCOSUR and the European Union The President of the Government, Mariano Rajoy, stressed in Brazil that Spain will continue to "strongly back" the trade agreement between the European Union and MERCOSUR. He also stated that there is a "broad margin" for increasing the presence of Spanish companies in Brazil.

28/04/2017 Government updates Stability Programme, which improves growth, job creation and public deficit forecasts to 2020 Spain will remain at the forefront of developed nations, the public deficit will drop to 3% in 2018 and the unemployment rate will fall to11.2% by the end of the year 2020. The government also extended the Active Employment Programme and its scope for a further year.

28/04/2017	Spain receives 13 million tourists in the first quarter of the year
27/04/2017	Spain takes in 56 Syrian refugees from Turkey
27/04/2017	The Social Security system's budget execution posts a positive balance of 2.71 billion euros, 0.24% of GDP
27/04/2017	State deficit shrank by over 43% in first quarter of the year
27/04/2017	Unemployment fell by 536,400 over last 12 months, with improved temporary employment rate
26/04/2017	Spanish Treasury places 5 billion euros in new 10-year bonds indexed to European inflation
25/04/2017	Álvaro Nadal presents the Spanish pavilion at the Astana Expo
25/04/2017	​Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría signs partnership agreement with City Council of Tarragona on 2018 Mediterranean Games
25/04/2017	Contributory pensions amount to 8.71 billion euros in April
25/04/2017	The Guardia Civil has arrested two people in Segovia linked to the Egyptian arrested on Saturday in the town of El Espinar in the province of Segovia
24/04/2017	"Government heads up candidature of Barcelona to host European Medicines Agency", says Dolors Montserrat
24/04/2017	Tax revenue forecast for 2017 to be 7.9% higher than last year, says State Secretary for the Treasury