On October 18, the Embassy of Spain in Saint Lucia celebrated Spain’s National Day with a reception offered by the Spanish Ambassador, H.E. José María Fernández López de Turiso, at the Sandals Grande Resort.
During the event, the acclaimed Spanish baritone, Luis Llaneza, sang traditional Spanish and Latin American songs, accompanied on piano by local artist, Jardè Pierre.
Governor General Dame Pearlette Louisy, Prime Minister Allen Chastanet, Sir Derek Walcott and representatives of the diplomatic corps and the Spanish community in Saint Lucia attended the event that was the first one of a series of cultural and social activities to celebrate the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Spain and Saint Lucia.
These activities will continuing on November 22 with a concert featuring the acclaimed Jazz- Flamenco band of Jorge Pardo, one of the most anticipated cultural event for this month in Saint Lucia.
The Spanish Ambassador emphasized that since 1986 both countries have maintained a cordial relationship, being further strengthened in the past year by the opening of the Permanent Representation of Spain in Castries.
The Ambassador noted that Spain intends to continue strengthening its ties with Saint Lucia, through the development of new avenues of cooperation in matters such as tourism, renewable energy, or the development of infrastructure, all fields in which Spain´s leadership is recognized globally.
Prime Minister Chastanet thanked Spain for the international support and highlighted the cooperation between both countries in fields such as the teaching of the Spanish and social projects for young people. He also noted that many bonds link Spain to the countries of the East Caribbean, as well as many common challenges that both countries face.