Por Redaccion Barbón highlights, during Nives Roqueñí’s inauguration as head of the Gijón port authority, her work ethic and technical expertise. The President of the Principality participated in Nieves Roqueñí’s inauguration this morning, who until recently served as the Minister of Ecological Transition, as the new president of the Gijón Port Authority. Adrián Barbón emphasized Roqueñí’s work ethic and technical knowledge, qualities that make her ideal for turning the El Musel port into a catalyst for the economic transformation in Asturias.
The arrival of high-speed rail and the unlocking of the ZALIA are two compelling reasons to believe that the Principality can become the logistics hub of the Cantabrian Sea. The President emphasized the importance of El Musel for the future economy of Asturias, as well as for consolidating investment projects and improving trade routes. He set three goals for El Musel: to be a safe, clean, and open port, highlighting the importance of collaboration between the port and the city of Gijón.
Regarding Roqueñí’s work at the Ministry of Transition, the President highlighted the boost she had given to environmental permit processing agility and grant allocation. As a result of her work, ArcelorMittal has invested 213 million in building an electric arc furnace in Veriña (Gijón), the only decarbonization investment the steel multinational has in Europe.
Barbón also paid tribute to former President of the Principality, Vicente Álvarez Areces, who passed away in 2019 and was instrumental in the port’s expansion. He emphasized the need to continue working to make El Musel a positive agent of change for Gijón and the Asturian economy. «Nieves, you are in charge. Remember that Gijón and Asturias are lands of opportunities,» Barbón concluded.
Below is the full speech of the President of the Principality during Nives Roqueñí’s inauguration as the new president of the Gijón Port Authority:
INTERVENTION OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE PRINCIPALITY OF ASTURIAS, ADRIÁN BARBÓN
We are by the sea. If we look up, we will see how the Cantabrian Sea merges in the distance. El Musel is Gijón’s embrace to that broad horizon with all its logistic, commercial, and industrial capacity. To you, Nieves, president of the largest port in Asturias, taking command of a key infrastructure for the future of the Principality, it is up to you to make the most of its potential.
On November 29, 2023, the Pajares variant opened for passenger and cargo traffic. Symbolically, I set that date as the beginning of the decade of change. That is what this morning is about, turning El Musel into a catalyst for the profound transformation our community is undergoing.
Nieves, you must be thinking about how to achieve that goal. Let me give you a first piece of advice: trust in your enormous work capacity, your technical knowledge, your rigor, and your expertise. With those qualities, and I add, with your willingness to dialogue, you are the right person to achieve it.
Moreover, due to your trajectory, you are well aware of the gears of the Asturian economy. You know that with the arrival of high-speed rail and the unlocking of ZALIA, we have solid reasons to believe that the Principality can become the logistics hub of the Cantabrian Sea. You also know that the European Commission must soon make decisions that effectively protect the community steel industry and guarantee its competitiveness. Now, we are all looking forward to Wednesday, when the Agreement for a Clean Industry will be made public, a decisive plan to make the fair transition we all desire towards a green economy a reality, a goal in which the Union, Asturias, and this very port have so much at stake. I sincerely hope that document meets the global challenge facing the European industry.
Let me pause for a moment on this matter. A few kilometers from here, the construction of the Veriña electric arc furnace is underway. It is a 213 million investment that places Asturian facilities at the forefront of decarbonization. And if it has already started, it is largely because the Ministry of Ecological Transition, which you led, handled all the environmental processing and grant allocation quickly. It is something worth remembering.
Returning to the speech, in summary, I was trying to explain why you know very well the extreme importance of El Musel for the economic future of the Principality. We are talking about traffic, trade routes, combining various types of communications, or consolidating ambitious ongoing investment projects, some of them right here in the port itself. It is, with a seafaring term, time for this port to accompany Asturias on this new journey.
A journey that must never forget its starting point. When I confirmed your appointment, I set three goals: a safe, clean, and open Musel. I repeat them. If El Musel embraces the sea, Gijón embraces its port. Between the city and this facility, there must be a permanent, open, mutually beneficial relationship. The neighborhoods of El Muselín, Pescadores, Natahoyo, La Calzada, or Portuarios must be certain that the port is not just an industrial and commercial activity enclave but also an essential part of their city that contributes to making it more prosperous and more humane.
Not everything will be about assigning you tasks. I now address the rest of the authorities. All administrations have tasks here, including the Government of Asturias. From our side, from the Principality I preside, I commit to always offer loyal cooperation to work together for those three goals I mentioned. My entire government will do everything in its power to make the ports of Gijón and Avilés agents of change in building the best Asturias.
I also want to remember. Just over six years ago, President Vicente Álvarez Areces, Tini Areces, who also served as the mayor of this city, passed away. The port’s expansion was one of his dearest projects. Probably, it would never have become a reality without his drive. Now that we see it as one of the best platforms for the development of Asturias, it is good to keep that in mind.
One of Tini’s traits was precisely that he never gave up, not even when things got tough. We cannot afford to do so either. On the contrary, one of the best tributes we can pay him is to go all out to make El Musel a powerful agent of change for the better in Gijón, the industry, and the economy of Asturias.
Nieves, you are in charge. And remember, Gijón and Asturias are lands of opportunities.
Thank you very much.
FUENTE