The new president of the Port of Barcelona, Lluís Salvadó, took office on Monday and highlighted the desire for dialogue between administrations to achieve consensus, as well as institutional respect. He said so at a press conference together with the Minister of Territory of the Generalitat, Juli Fernández, and the until now president of infrastructure, Damià Calvet, before the Government approved the appointment on Tuesday.
Fernández thanked the work carried out by Calvet and highlighted the "extensive knowledge in the public and private sphere" and the management experience of Salvadó, who will leave his seat in Parliament tomorrow. The new president has explained that he is "fully aware" that the Port of Barcelona is a meeting point for a very large group of public administrations and companies, for which reason he has reiterated the importance of consensus.
Damià Calvet stressed that the Port of Barcelona "normally generates good news" and that it is due to, in his words, the constant effort of the port community and the management team of the infrastructure. "The Port is a very powerful economic engine" he said, and recalled the need to decarbonize its activity, both maritime and port, as well as logistics. Among what he considers his main achievements in charge of infrastructure, Calvet has highlighted the celebration of the 2024 America's Cup.
Fernández thanked the work carried out by Calvet and stated that his successor "will have the capacity to continue the work carried out and continue to place the Port of Barcelona" in the place it occupies in importance within the Spanish, Mediterranean and European port system .
Asked about the disagreement with the Barcelona City Council over the number of cruise ships that the infrastructure accommodates, Salvadó recalled that this sector is "strategic for the country" and asked to find a point of balance. He has said that "a way to make everyone feel comfortable" must be found in the number of cruise ships that arrive in Barcelona and, in his words, especially the Barcelona City Council. To this end, he has appealed for dialogue and consensus, although he has assured that, if an agreement cannot be reached, "the Port has to carry out its policy."
On the other hand, Salvadó has detached himself from the judicial process in which he is immersed and which could lead to the disqualification of his agenda at the head of the infrastructure, and he has been convinced that the accusations will decline.
