King Felipe of Spain attended the official welcome dinner for GSMA Mobile World Congress 2019 on Sunday, 24 February at the National Museum of Art of Catalonia in Barcelona.
The King chairs this dinner yearly which is organised for mobile phone operators across the globe.
The welcome dinner brings together close to “800 operators with almost 300 companies in the broader ecosystem of telephony mobile,” according to Casa Real.
The King was accompanied by Nadia Calviño, Minister of Economy and Business; Meritxell Batet, the Minister of Territorial Policy and Public Function; Pedro Duque, the Minister of Science, Innovation and Universities; and Joaquín Torra, the President of the Generalitat of Catalonia, among others.
His Majesty spoke in Spanish, English and Catalan (the language spoken in Catalonia), highlighting the 40th anniversary of the Spanish Constitution which was recently celebrated.
He said, “The broad consensus that saw its birth, during the period commonly known as our Democratic Transition, and its final approval by the vast majority of Spaniards, was an unprecedented political success in the history of our country.
“Throughout all these years, Spain has become, in its own right, one of the 20 full democracies internationally recognised; and our democracy has reached, in real terms, the highest level of prosperity and well-being for our country in its entire history.
“Today, Spain has strong institutions, political and economic strength, attracts more than 80 million visitors and a large number of investors see good opportunities in most sectors of our economy. Therefore, this year too, thank you for your confidence and your participation.”
© Casa de SM el Rey
He also specifically addressed those citizens of Barcelona, labour relations, and technological advances. King Felipe spoke of how technological advances would “also lead to new jobs that also require new skills and that are constantly evolving. Therefore, we must adapt our education and training systems to the real demands of this transformation.”
The King concluded, “We must guarantee, above all, that this great transformation takes place with full respect for the rights of citizens. The need to protect these rights in the digital domain is not only a matter of principle but also of trust. If people do not trust new types of relationships and operations in the online world, they will be reluctant to incorporate them into their daily lives, for fear of facing discrimination or abuse and violations of their privacy.”
