ZARAGOZA, May 23 (Benin News) –
The President of the Government of Aragon, Javier Lambán, insisted on Monday that “there cannot be a candidacy for the Winter Olympics in which the Aragonese Pyrenees are devalued” and recalled that the region has launched in this candidacy with the commitment of the President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, the Minister of Sports, Miquel Iceta, and the President of the COE, Alejandro Blanco, to develop a project “on an equal footing between Aragon and Catalonia”.
“We see this candidacy as a project for a country with two Autonomous Communities directly involved that will design this project on an equal footing.” This was stated by President Sánchez on September 16 in Zaragoza. And with this public commitment, Aragon has worked with loyalty and with an attitude of dialogue,” he said.
In this sense, he recalled that the latest EC proposal relegates Aragon “to a simple comparsa and sets conditions that coincide with the initial proposal of Catalonia in which it already left a residual role to the Aragonese Pyrenees”.
“Aragon cannot accept it. I have always defended and will always defend the interests and dignity of the Community above all else. The Government of Aragon always maintains its will to continue working for a Spanish candidacy, jointly and on an equal footing,” the leader said.
Without going any further, this very morning – in the telematic meeting held with the COE, the Spanish government and the Generalitat – the Minister of Education, Culture and Sports, Felipe Faci, again presented a new proposal balanced which divides the events into blocks according to the importance of the disciplines and even allows Catalonia to choose. However, the EC prevented the development of the proposal and Aragon received a “slammed door” in response.
Mr Lambán issued a warning and clarified that “any candidature proposed by the Spanish government must include the Aragonese Pyrenees”. “The candidacy of a country that devalues and mortgages the future of Aragonese ski resorts for the benefit of our main commercial, tourist and economic competitor, the Catalan Pyrenees, will not be successful. And we will go all the way, with all that means,” he stressed.
After the statement of the EC, the government of Aragon expressed its surprise at the announcement of the organization chaired by Alejandro Blanco to now present a new technical application.
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