Trinidad and Tobago warmly greeted Spain’s King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia as the two arrived yesterday for the start of a state visit to the Caribbean nation. 
The royal couple are there to broaden ties between the two countries. Trinidad was once a Spanish colony, until 1897.
“The century we are living in,” King Juan Carlos said in an address to Trinidad’s parliament. “Characterized by interdependence and the need for global responses, increasingly demands multilateral diplomacy of which Trinidad and Tobago has been an active defender.”
Spain gets some of its gas and oil from the dual islands.
As the King continued with his speech – in both Spanish and English – he talked about Trinidad and Tobago’s need to diversify its economy, and how Spain could help.
“We realize that Trinidad and Tobago wishes to adapt its infrastructure to the current levels of income enjoyed by its population. Spanish companies in this sector have long experience and proven reliability around the world. It is well known that Spain now has one of the most modern transport networks in Europe.
“And the same excellence can be recognized in other sectors, in which Spanish companies have shown themselves to be highly skilled, respected and professional – and here, I am referring, particularly, to the tourism industry.”
To show he means what he says, King Juan Carlos announced Spain would open an embassy in the capital of Port-of-Spain.
Later in the night, Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia attended a state dinner thrown by the Trinidad leaders.
Tuesday saw ties between Trinidad and Spain deepen as the Double Taxation Agreement was signed.
This is the first stop for the King and Queen on their Caribbean tour. Later this week, they are expected to go Jamaica and then Florida. The latter is to mark 450 years of Spanish settlement in the state.
Grand Duke Henri is seriously ill with broncho-pneumonia, and has had to cancel several major engagements, including a state visit to Vietnam this week.
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