Barcelona offers bridge of business to Istanbul
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Hürriyet Daily News
OluÅŸturulma Tarihi: Temmuz 02, 2009 00:00
ISTANBUL - Barcelona City Council picks Istanbul to extend a business bridge. A delegation from the council as well as the chamber of commerce visits Istanbul to promote Barcelona and also look into opportunities for Catalan investors. The Barcelona mission also aims to strengthen relations with local authorities
A delegation from Barcelona City Council and Barcelona’s Chamber of Commerce is visiting Istanbul to promote the Spanish Mediterranean city as well as to look for investment opportunities.Â
"We started the concept of Business Bridge a couple of years ago," said Jordi William Carnes, deputy mayor for the treasury and economic promotion. "This is a commercial mission developed jointly by the municipality and the chamber."
Prior to Istanbul, business bridges were extended to Monterey, in Mexico, Capetown and Johannesburg in South Africa, and Shanghai. "We choose cities that are developing fast in terms of economic relations and provide great potential for further economic cooperation," Carnes said in an interview with Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review on Monday.
Economic promotion
The economic promotion of cities should also be the responsibility of the municipalities, according to Carnes. "In times of economic crisis we need to reinforce our international dimension.
Central governments force international economic ties, but they do not do so at the local level. Central governments in Spain will sell Spain but not Barcelona, central governments in Turkey will sell Turkey but not Istanbul."
There are not commercial battles between countries but between regions as well, according to Carnes. The governments are not excluded from "business bridges." "We do work together with the government. We do not act alone.
That’s why the embassy in Ankara is also involved in the visit," he said during the interview, which took place in the summer residence of Spanish Ambassador Joan Carlos, who is a former mayor of Barcelona.
Beside the economic promotion of Barcelona, the mission’s objective includes capturing foreign investments and helping Catalan companies sell abroad, and identifying later business opportunities with firms from both cities. "Together with the chamber of commerce, we develop a program to enable Catalan businessmen to get in touch with their counterparts in the chosen cities," he said.
As the big companies already go global, small- and medium-sized enterprises are usually involved in the business bridge.
Istanbul provides a big potential to develop cooperation, especially in the areas of environment, water maintenance, bio-tech, food, chemistry, health care and transportation, according to Carnes.
The mission also aims to strengthen relations and links between the Barcelona City Council and local authorities in Istanbul. "We have to cooperate for 2010 European capital city. We have also invited Istanbul Municipality to Barcelona festivals."
"We started the concept of Business Bridge a couple of years ago," said Jordi William Carnes, deputy mayor for the treasury and economic promotion. "This is a commercial mission developed jointly by the municipality and the chamber."
Prior to Istanbul, business bridges were extended to Monterey, in Mexico, Capetown and Johannesburg in South Africa, and Shanghai. "We choose cities that are developing fast in terms of economic relations and provide great potential for further economic cooperation," Carnes said in an interview with Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review on Monday.
Economic promotion
The economic promotion of cities should also be the responsibility of the municipalities, according to Carnes. "In times of economic crisis we need to reinforce our international dimension.
Central governments force international economic ties, but they do not do so at the local level. Central governments in Spain will sell Spain but not Barcelona, central governments in Turkey will sell Turkey but not Istanbul."
There are not commercial battles between countries but between regions as well, according to Carnes. The governments are not excluded from "business bridges." "We do work together with the government. We do not act alone.
That’s why the embassy in Ankara is also involved in the visit," he said during the interview, which took place in the summer residence of Spanish Ambassador Joan Carlos, who is a former mayor of Barcelona.
Beside the economic promotion of Barcelona, the mission’s objective includes capturing foreign investments and helping Catalan companies sell abroad, and identifying later business opportunities with firms from both cities. "Together with the chamber of commerce, we develop a program to enable Catalan businessmen to get in touch with their counterparts in the chosen cities," he said.
As the big companies already go global, small- and medium-sized enterprises are usually involved in the business bridge.
Istanbul provides a big potential to develop cooperation, especially in the areas of environment, water maintenance, bio-tech, food, chemistry, health care and transportation, according to Carnes.
The mission also aims to strengthen relations and links between the Barcelona City Council and local authorities in Istanbul. "We have to cooperate for 2010 European capital city. We have also invited Istanbul Municipality to Barcelona festivals."