TW
0

Palma.—Accompanied by the U.S. Consular Agent to Majorca, Amy Christiansen, the U.S. Ambassador met the Balearic President, Jose Ramon Bauza, for talks before a round table meeting with local industry bosses at the Consolat de la Mar government headquarters.

The Ambassador was in Majorca to attend the closing act of the international Microsoft Innovation Centres convention which has been held outside the United States for the first time ever this week at the Parc Bit technology park on the outskirts of the city and attended by Microsoft delegates from all over the world.

Catalonia
Yesterday, after talks with eleven Balearic companies which are interested in expanding their business relations with the United States and key members of the local government, the Ambassador said that he is convinced that Spain is more than capable of resolving its problems with Catalonia, which this week has increased its efforts to gain independence from Madrid. “I am sure a satisfactory solution will be reached and that in the future, all sides involved will enjoy a very positive relationship.” The Ambassador said that the United States is always very interested in what happens in Spain and admitted that the United States was monitoring the Catalonia situation, but diplomatically stressed that one of the first things he learnt when becoming an ambassador “was not to meddle in overseas politics. “In my country, these kinds of tensions are quite common but democracy is a work in constant progress and there will always be differing points of view,” he added. “Very recently, I was in Barcelona and it struck me as a very beautiful part of Spain,” the Ambassador said as he emerged from the meeting at the Consolat de la Mar.

Meliá Hotels deal
And, as evidence of the close working relationship which already exists between Balearic and U.S. companies, world leading Majorcan hotel chain Meliá Hotels International signed a deal with Microsoft to use and help develop its tourism technology systems in the 350 hotels the chain operates in 35 countries.