Luis M Linde: The Mediterranean economies in a changing world. Lessons learned in economic and financial instability - what scenarios can we envisage?

Opening remarks by Mr Luis M Linde, Governor of the Bank of Spain, at the Conference "The Mediterranean econonomies in a changing world", organised by the Instituto Europeo del Mediterráneo (IEMED), Barcelona, 24 February 2017.

The views expressed in this speech are those of the speaker and not the view of the BIS.

Good morning ladies and gentlemen. It is for me a great pleasure to make the opening remarks in this conference organised by IEMED, to discuss economic and financial matters in the Mediterranean region. The two previous conferences took place in Barcelona, in October 2014, and in Rabat, in November 2015, and were very successful as, I am sure, it will the case again this time.

The idea behind these conferences is to provide a forum in which different parties from Mediterranean countries interested in exchanging ideas on monetary, economic and financial matters in the region -central banks, public officials, representatives of the private sector and international organisations- can do so in a friendly and forthcoming environment. I think the diversity of participants, with presence of some central banks, is one of the clues for the success and the continuity of this initiative.