Culture, economy and tourism are the links between Porto and Barcelona

The Mayor of Porto was received this Monday at the Foment del Treball Nacional, in Barcelona, the oldest economic organisation in Europe and one of the foundations of Catalonia's development, where he brought up issues that unite the two cities, particularly in the cultural, economic and tourism sectors.

While visiting the Catalan city, Rui Moreira met with the president of Foment del Treball Nacional, Josep Sánchez Llibre, and with organisations linked to the Literary Guild.

In a meeting marked by an exchange of synergies, the Mayor emphasised culture's role as 'a pillar of the common development of the two Iberian cities'.

In this sense, Rui Moreira emphasised that Porto intends to take advantage of the knowledge and tradition associated with the Festa de Sant Jordi - the book fair that takes place in Barcelona in April - with the aim of promoting a similar event in Porto next year.

Noting that Primavera Sound is a cultural flagship for both cities, and with a view to promoting the connection between Porto and Barcelona, the Mayor emphasised the need for more air links.

In this regard, and despite being concerned about the consequences of the mass influx of visitors to Porto, Rui Moreira pointed out that, as in Barcelona, tourism 'is one of the great engines of the city's development'.

As such, the Mayor emphasised that the two cities should 'work more on gastronomic and wine cooperation between the two regions'.

Economic Iberolux

Moreira once again put 'the creation of an economic Iberolux between Portugal and Spain' on the table, with a focus on relations with South America and Africa. The Iberolux idea had already been launched by the Mayor of Porto in 2020, when he was challenged to talk about the city's position in the European and Iberian contexts.

The Mayor also challenged those present to go ahead with a meeting of startups from both countries, taking advantage of the opportunity to drink from the knowledge of the prestigious educational institutions in both cities, such as the University of Porto and the University of Barcelona.

With regard to environmental issues, Rui Moreira spoke about Porto's efforts to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030, emphasising that the municipality has seen 'a transformation of the city in terms of mobility'. The city of Barcelona is also committed to these goals.

The dialogue with different Spanish organisations took place at the Foment del Treball Nacional, the main employers' organisation in Catalonia. The visit also includes a stop at the Barcelona City Council, where the president will be received by Mayor Jaume Collboni.