Spanish state looks to Indonesia for business
JAKARTA (JP): The campaign gimmick "Come and trade with Catalonia" might prompt many people to ask "where?," but mention Barcelona, and they will quickly identify it as the host of the 1992 Olympic Games, or one of the leading Spanish soccer teams.
A delegation from the autonomous Spanish state is in town to show the Indonesian public, and potential investors, that there is more to Catalonia than Barcelona, the Olympics and soccer.
Situated on 31,895 square kilometers of land on the eastern coast of Spain, Catalonia is now joining the trend of seeking business opportunities in faraway lands.
Catalonian President Jordi Pujol is taking a personal interest in the campaign, arriving in Jakarta on Saturday at the head of a delegation with about 40 Catalonian businessmen.
Pujol said he is aware of the important role of trade and economics in world politics and international relations, and therefore decided to head the six-day mission himself.
"Some decades ago people believed that the power, wealth and importance of a country depended on military power and political contacts. But today... they are more related to the economic wealth of a country and its capacity to be competitive in the world," he said.
By personally making the visit, he can also benefit from the meetings he would have, and establish further political contacts, he said. "Now more and more politicians, prime ministers and even kings, lead economic missions."
He cited as an example German Chancellor Helmut Kohl who often heads commercial and economic missions overseas.
Pujol said he knew Southeast Asia is a region of emerging countries, with rapid growth and great power. "We believe it is important to be present in this area of the world... and it is interesting for us to know what is happening here," Pujol said.
He acknowledged Indonesia's large production capacity "but you are also rapidly growing as a consumer country."
Pujol's knowledge of Indonesia was obviously limited to trade and business statistics and he was apparently very curious to know more about the people.
"What language is the most popular here, Indonesian or English? Is Indonesian understood also by the people of Irian Jaya? If a novelist wrote a book, would it be in Indonesian or in his own language?" he bombarded Indonesian journalists with questions before the interview.
It was not until Spanish Ambassador Antonio Sanchez Jara interrupted that he stopped the rush of questions and let the journalists ask their questions.
Joint venture
Several Catalonian companies have already make some inroads into Indonesia, engaging in joint ventures mostly in the textile sector. But more are expected to join after this mission.
"Spaniards mostly know that Indonesia is an emerging and stable country, because economic growth is impossible without stability. They also know that it is a rich country with natural resources and that Indonesia, and especially the famous Bali, is a beautiful place," Pujol said of Indonesia.
By being an autonomous state in Spain with limitations on central government control, Catalonia has managed to retain its distinct identity.
"We believe that Catalonia in itself is a nation, because we have our own language, culture, national and historical consciousness and our own identity and traditional political institutions since centuries ago," Pujol said.
The country is self-governed by the Generalitat de Catalunya, an institution made up of the Parliament, the Presidency and the Cabinet. "We want to defend our national Catalan identity, but we try to work in the framework of the Spanish state, not only in a passive way but in a very active and positive way," he said.
The 64-year old Pujol, a graduate of the faculty of medicine from the University of Barcelona, is now serving his fourth term as president of the Generalitat. (pwn)