Honourable Ministers, Excellences, Distinguished Guests,  
As part of the Danish State Visit to the Argentine Republic it is a great pleasure for me to open this Business Conference. It is particularly exciting to be here at a time, when Argentina is increasingly opening up for international partnerships based on investment and business opportunities. This also includes Danish companies.

Relations between Argentina and Denmark are deep-rooted and broad. In 1841, Denmark and Argentina signed their first diplomatic protocol. Argentina had recently won her independence, and through the protocol, Denmark attested to the sovereignty of Argentina. 

A few years later, a Danish citizen and teacher by the name of “Hans Fugl” set out for Argentina and came to be a pioneer in this country. He settled in the region south of Buenos Aires. Here he became known as “Juan Fugl”. He contributed immensely to the founding and development of the village of Tandil, where a statue of him stands today. Juan Fugl is a prominent example of the many Danes who came to Argentina in the 19th century. They brought a rich cultural heritage from Denmark, and they brought an entrepreneurship and technical knowledge that benefitted the prosperity of both themselves and their surroundings.

Although these historical events happened more than 150 years ago, I believe that they still carry importance for us today. The cultural ties between our countries are strong and alive, and they bring us closer together as nations. The forces of entrepreneurship are also today strong in both the Danish and Argentine business communities, increasing prosperity on both sides.

Today, business relations between Denmark and Argentina are particularly strong within agro-business and food production, within sustainable energy and water solutions, and within health. 

Danish food production technology has been implemented and installed in Argentina during the past many years. Especially within the dairy and poultry sectors, the levels of that technology are very advanced. And many of the Danish companies present here today have contributed to developing the Argentine food industry in general. 
That is a very positive outcome of a fruitful commercial cooperation, which we also see unfold within the field of sustainable energy and water solutions. 

Argentina and Denmark are both partners to the international efforts for a sustainable development, focused on renewable energy, energy efficiency and caring for the environment, as we share the responsibility for our future generations and our planet.

In Denmark, we have experienced that effective energy policies can indeed be carried out with support from the private sector. We have experienced that such an approach has allowed us to set ambitious goals for decreasing greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating the effects of climate change. And it is our experience that ambitious green goals can walk hand-in-hand with business prosperity and economic growth in general. 

Yesterday, The Crown Prince had the chance to visit YPF, the biggest energy company in Argentina. YPF is part of a sector that continuously works to keep up with the newest technologies in order to reach the best possible results on energy-efficiency. Fortunately, international cooperation can go a long way in making sure that new technologies and best practices are shared. And Danish companies stand ready to cooperate and contribute to solve challenges also here in Argentina.
Within health, Danish companies are already prominently present here in Argentina. They are contributing to better services and higher quality in the health sector. 

The presence of 30 Danish companies as well as leading Danish business associations during this State Visit bears testimony to the great Danish commercial interest in Argentina in general. The Danish business delegation represents an important pool of knowledge and innovative solutions to some of the challenges faced by Argentina today. I am equally delighted to see today that so many Argentine business representatives reciprocate the strong interest from Denmark. 

I believe that the business conference today offers a unique opportunity to explore opportunities for creating and further strengthening investment and business partnerships. This will be of mutual benefit to Argentine and Danish companies, and it will contribute to increased prosperity of our two nations. 

With these words, I would like to wish you all a productive and fruitful day.