FEMP encourages the exchange between Spanish and Chinese Local Governments
Local representatives of Spain and China have agreed to further collaboration and exchange between the two countries' municipal world, at a meeting of the President of the FEMP, Pedro Castro, Vice President of the Association of Chinese People's Friendship with Foreign Countries, Li Jianping, after the seminar which was held at the headquarters of the Federation.
During the meeting, Pedro Castro has expressed the desire that the relations established between local governments of both countries have, in addition to cultural content and mutual understanding, economic content, and therefore proposed to incorporate even the business world as part of the official policy of relations that exist between governments of the two states.
The President of the FEMP has accepted the invitation of Vice President of the China Association for a Spanish municipal delegation visit the country to coincide with the Expo 2010 to be held in Shanghai.
Seminar on Cooperation in the local Chinese - Spanish that took place at the FEMP, participated by 35 representatives from many other Chinese cities and provinces, as well as Spanish mayors, including Mayor of Pamplona, Yolanda Barcina, and the mayors of Valladolid, Francisco León de la Riva, and Fuenlabrada, Manuel Robles. It also includes representatives of other municipalities such as Coca (Segovia), Rivas Vaciamadrid, Villaconejos and Villanueva de la Cañada (Madrid), Riudecanyes (Tarragona), Valencia, Besalú (Girona), Malaga and Extremadura Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMPEX) .
The seminar began with the intervention of the President of the International Relations Committee, the Mayor of Valladolid, Francisco Javier Leon de la Riva, who outlined the structure of Spain since terrotorial institutional perspective and the role of Local Governments.
During the working sessions discussed the role of Local Governments at the start of the crisis and on issues related to integration and social cohesion in cities. The Mayor of Valladolid at the end of the seminar stressed that relations between Spanish and Chinese communes can be reflected in mutual cooperation and exchange of experiences, knowledge, language and even cultural and commercial relations.
De la Riva said existing experiences of bilateral contacts between cities of both countries and that is to build and enhance these relationships within a broader framework for collaboration.