Port accessAs part of the Bilbao Port Authority visit to Chile, the leading representatives of the Ports of Valparaiso and Bilbao respectively have signed an international twinning agreement.
This agreement, endorsed by the Chairman of the Valparaiso Port Company, Mr. Mikel Uriarte, and his Bilbao Port Authority counterpart, Mr. Asier Atutxa, in the presence of the Valparaiso Mayor, Mr. Jorge Castro, ratifies the existing links between both ports and enables a series of commercial, technical and cultural alliances to be projected in the coming years.
Thus, Valparaiso reinforces its international image and joins the ports of Osaka, Amsterdam, Geneva, Philadelphia, Shanghai and Aqaba, which are also twinned with Bilbao.
According to Mikel Uriarte, this agreement will strengthen international interchange with Bilbao and he takes its example in the harmonious development of a port project that is compatible with both the city and its inhabitants. “They have been a city-port for 700 years and have built a port perfectly blended with the city.
They have been able to develop a metropolis in harmony with port life and to look towards the future – an experience they can pass on to us,” he added.
For Asier Atutxa, “this twinning agreement is significant to us for two reasons: on the one hand there is the sentimental – the historic ties between Chile and the Basque Country; while on the other, we have trade. We are interested in continuing to generate synergy by increasing port traffic with Valparaiso and Chile. In the future, we will certainly work side by side to develop our two countries, which have a great future due to their enterprising, industrial spirits, which they have shown over recent years.”
Finally, the Mayor, Jorge Castro, emphasised the value of the agreement, recalling that the ties between Valparaiso and Bilbao have been permanent, giving as an example the fact that the fireworks used in the annual Bay of Valparaiso display are dispatched from the Port of Bilbao. For Castro, “the twinning will encourage us to continue working together with the city. Without any doubt, Bilbao’s example is very important: this blend of the best port spaces given up to the development of culture and the Arts, means that a strong commitment exists between the Port of Bilbao and its community. We wish to walk with them in this direction in order to learn from their experiences and incorporate them into our city.”
