Ana Abrunhosa, Minister of Territorial Cohesion, said today in Faro who has already seen the situation of the high-speed rail link between the Algarve and Seville "more difficult", on the sidelines of a session in which Juan Manuel Moreno, president of the Regional Government of Andalusia, also promised to "press a lot" on the Spanish Government so that the work move forward.
The Portuguese minister and the governor of the Andalusia region were in the Algarve for the signing session of the Cross-Border Cooperation protocol of the Alentejo-Algarve-Andalusia Euroregion Work Community, which took place at the headquarters of the Algarve Regional Coordination and Development Commission.
And it was right during the session that the much-desired rail connection was discussed.
In her speech, which preceded the signing of the protocol, Ana Abrunhosa assured that «it is not because of Portugal that this work is not included in the Common Strategy for Cross-border Development», approved at the end of 2020, guaranteeing that, on the day before the signing of the agreement, he insisted with the Spanish Government 'that he very much wanted it to be inscribed' in the document.
But, on the sidelines of the session, he left a message of hope: “I have already seen the most difficult situation”, he assured.
“At the last summit, I heard from the Prime Minister of the Government of the Kingdom of Spain another receptivity to analyze and re-study the dossier”, he explained, although this work ended up not being included in the common strategy.
In this way, the Government «will continue to insist» on the matter and believes it is not alone, since there is «a very committed Euroregion and a region of Andalusia very committed to this project».
This commitment was, moreover, reaffirmed by the Regional Government of Andalusia.
“With European funds, the connection can be made. We believe that it is necessary and timely and the Government of Andalusia will put a lot of pressure on the Government of Spain for this work to be carried out”, said Juan Manuel Moreno, on the sidelines of the session.
The same official stated that there is "a very positive attitude" on the part of the Spanish Government in relation to this work, which was considered "a priority in the strategic plans of transport and communications worked together with the central government".
This would be a very important project for both regions, believes the Andalusian government official, who believes that the rail link could boost the Alentejo-Algarve-Andalusia Euroregion as one of the great tourist destinations in the world, especially in southern Europe».
Now, he argues, this work “has to be translated, on paper, into a viable project, with deadlines and investments”, not least because, in his view, it is “irrevocable”.
Earlier, during the session, Juan Moreno had already spoken of another connection, the bridge that will be built between Alcoutim and Sanlúcar de Guadiana, in Spain, an initiative of the Portuguese Government, which will be paid for with funds from the Recovery and Resilience Plan.
The President of the Andalusian Government says he “applauds” the decision, not hiding that the advancement of this new passage between Portugal and Spain is also “fundamental” for the development of Andalusia.
An idea repeated by Ana Abrunhosa, who asked Juan Moreno for «support at all stages of this very important project».
Recalling that the deadlines for completing the bridge are «tight», the minister stressed the importance of the processes, namely environmental licensing, to be swift, on both sides of the border, «always with full respect for the laws».
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