The port of Algeciras has recently received a large business and institutional delegation from Guyana, Barbados, and Antigua and Barbuda, which, guided by the European Union’s ‘Global Gateway’ strategy, seek to position themselves as attractive destinations for investment. Thus, this Caribbean area aims to develop, among other aspects, as an energy and maritime transshipment hub, a reason that has brought them to the Bay of Algeciras to learn firsthand about the work carried out in the Strait, exchange best practices, and contribute to promoting key projects in the region.
The delegation was led by the Ambassador of Guyana to Belgium and non-resident Ambassador to the Netherlands, as well as Permanent Representative to the European Union and the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OEAC), Sasenarine Singh, and the Head of Cooperation of the EU delegation in Guyana, Joan Nadal. In the meeting held, the President of the Port Authority of Algeciras (APBA), Gerardo Landaluce, highlighted Algeciras’s position as the most efficient port in Europe, according to the World Bank, and an essential logistics node for global traffic. Furthermore, he emphasized the connection of this visit with the role of the port of Algeciras in the European Union’s Global Gateway strategy, which seeks to strengthen sustainable connectivity and international cooperation through strategic alliances. The President of the APBA recalled the recent agreements of the port of Algeciras with Sieca (Secretariat for Central American Economic Integration) and the Panama Canal to facilitate trade relations and green and digital corridors between the EU and Central America. “The mission of Guyana and Barbados is a project in which the port of Algeciras participates to collaborate in the European Global Gateway initiative,” he stated.
The visit was promoted by the Foundation for the Internationalization of Public Administrations (FIAP) and Puertos del Estado, and included the participation of the heads of the APBA, and the main business associations in the sector: Ateia, Aesba, and Comport. Also from Ineco, Nexport, TTIA, and Americold. In addition to the working meeting where they learned about the operation of the Port Community System (PCS), the delegation visited the main facilities of the port area and the actions being undertaken to ensure the green transition and the integration of sustainable value chains.
