Dear Ambassador Dr. Sante,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Thank you very much for the warm welcome to the Embassy and to Argentina.
After two-and-a-half years of the Covid-19 pandemic and limited travel opportunities, it is a pleasure to meet so many of Hamburg’s friends and partners in person.
Latin America as a whole, and Argentina in particular, are important partners for us. Over the course of 400 years, we have established close trade relations. The Argentine consulate general in Hamburg was founded in 1835 and is one of the oldest in our city.
Today, Hamburg is the third-largest port in Europe with liner services to over 1,000 destinations around the globe. Statistically, one container ship leaves the port of Buenos Aires towards Hamburg every day.
We chose Buenos Aires as the first stop on this trip to honor the good relationship between our cities.
More than 300 companies from Hamburg do business with Argentina. About 100 of them have offices, an affiliate, or a joint venture here.
In Buenos Aires, Hamburg is represented by our ‘Hamburg Ambassador’, Matthias Kleimhempel. Unfortunately, Mr. Kleinhempel cannot be here tonight, but I am sure many of you know him well.
Hamburg and Buenos Aires co-operate not only in business but also on a city-to-city level. As major ports and important hubs of international trade, we have much in common.
We are modern, cosmopolitan cities and economic centers with growing businesses, first-rate research and educational institutions, and an urban environment that offers a high quality of life.
In 2018, Hamburg and Buenos Aires signed a Memorandum of Understanding.
Since then, we have established new connections and exchanged best practices in different areas, including science and research, urban development, environmental protection, and support for start-ups.
This afternoon, Mayor Rodríguez Larreta and I renewed the Memorandum between our cities.
We want to intensify our existing co-operations and develop new projects in the fields of sustainable urban development, the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the development of hydrogen technologies, and digital infrastructure and smart government services.
Our agreement will provide a strong foundation for future co-operation between Hamburg and Argentina, between private companies, and public institutions.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
As the geo-political landscape changes, Latin America and Europe are becoming even more important partners for each other. We can contribute to this relationship: in government and administration, in business, science, and in many other areas.
I would like to invite all of you to take the opportunity of this meeting to make new contacts that bridge the Atlantic and build the foundation for many new collaborations.
On behalf of the Hamburg Senate and our entire delegation, I would like to thank you, Ambassador Sante, and your team at the Embassy for hosting this event. I wish you an inspiring evening and many good ideas for the future of our partnership.
Thank you very much.