The mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, has started an institutional visit to Miami, in the American state of Florida, with the aim of enhancing Madrid’s international image and sharing experiences with mayors, business leaders, university representatives, and sports CEOs, among others.
On the first of the two days in Miami, Almeida received the keys to the city of Coral Gables from its mayor, Vince L. Lago, and spoke to businessmen at the informative breakfast ‘The new international appeal of Madrid’, organized by the Miami Chamber of Commerce. He highlighted the great moment Madrid is experiencing and its strategic position for attracting international investments and companies.
He emphasized that "Madrid is at its best moment, and to maintain it, we need the best conditions for investment, economic growth, and quality of life." In this regard, he urged investors to "trust in Madrid because we have political stability, a regulatory framework that provides security, a competitive tax system, a commitment to public-private partnership, and efforts to expedite investments."
Almeida assured an audience of investors, businessmen, media, and civil society that "there are few places that offer as much stability and confidence as Madrid."
During his speech, the mayor of Madrid also pointed out that the Spanish capital is currently the leading city in affordable housing construction, with land available for 140,000 residences. He also highlighted the measure announced by the Madrid Government to allow tertiary buildings to be converted into housing, thereby increasing supply to meet the current high demand.
Meeting with the Mayor of the City of Miami
Almeida met with the mayor of Miami, Francis Suárez, at the City Hall, where he was presented with the keys to the city. They discussed potential areas for bilateral cooperation and reviewed the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two city councils in 2014.
Additionally, the mayor held a meeting with presidents of universities in Florida, organized by the president of Miami Dade College, Madeleine Pumariega, the largest university in the United States with 180,000 students. The meeting was attended by representatives from fifteen universities, including Many Díaz Jr, Commissioner of Education for the State of Florida, and José Dotres, Superintendent of the Miami Dade School District.
Meeting with the Mayor of Miami Dade County and University Colloquium
The agenda continued in the afternoon with a meeting with the mayor of Miami Dade County, Daniella Cava, who presented the keys to the county to the mayor of Madrid. They discussed areas of bilateral cooperation and reviewed the Declaration of Cooperation on art, culture, and tourism signed in 2015 by both administrations.
Furthermore, the mayor of Madrid participated in a colloquium with university students titled ‘Madrid: a capital for business development attraction’, organized by the International Foundation for Freedom and Florida International University. /
