RECENT ARCHEOLOGICAL DISCOVERIES INDICATE THAT A SPANISH COLONY OF SOME 600 MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN, AND KNOWN AS THE LAND OF AYLLON, WAS FOUNDED ON THE GEORGIA COAST, MOST LIKELY IN MCINTOSH COUNTY, IN 1526, ONLY 34 YEARS AFTER COLUMBUS DISCOVERED THE NEW WORLD.  ALTHOUGH THE COLONY DID NOT LAST FOR LONG, IT NEVERTHELESS UNDERSCORES A LITTLE KNOWN HISTORIC RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GEORGIA AND SPAIN.

THIS DRAMATIC DISCOVERY IS ENERGIZING THE RECENT CREATION IN ATLANTA OF THE SPAIN-GEORGIA COUNCIL, WHICH WILL PROMOTE ECONOMIC TIES, BUT ADDITIONALLY SEEKS TO FACILITATE EDUCATIONAL EXCHANGES AND TO PROMOTE MORE AWARENESS OF SPANISH HISTORY AND CULTURE IN THE STATE.

  A HALF-DAY SEMINAR ON THURSDAY, NOV. 4 IN ATLANTA CONCERNING COMMERCIAL OPPORTUNITIES IN SPAIN WILL MARK THE FIRST FORMAL EVENT OF THE COUNCIL.

AMONG THE SPEAKERS INVITED TO ATTEND WILL BE MARY BETH DOUBLE, THE SPAIN DESK OFFICER AT THE U.S. DEPT. OF COMMERCE; GUILLERMO OLIVIE, INTERNATIONAL TRADE ADVISOR OF THE MADRID CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY IN NEW YORK CITY; EILEEN O’CONNOR, DIRECTOR OF INVESTOR RELATIONS FOR BANCO BILBAO VIZCAYA IN NEW YORK; ANNA DIAZ OF CIDEM, THE NEW YORK CITY DEVELOPMENT OFFICE OF CATALONIA; AND EMILIO IODICE, A SENIOR COMMERCIAL OFFICER OF THE U.S. EMBASSY  MADRID.

 THE INVESTMENT CLIMATE IN SPAIN IS STILL REMARKABLY GOOD, SAID JAMES HAVNAER, WHO IS PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL AND PARTICIPATED IN LAUNCHING THE ECUADORIAN-AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF GEORGIA, INC.  SPAIN HAS CHRONIC UNEMPLOYMENT, BUT MANY INVESTMENT ADVISORS SEE SPAIN’S ECONOMIC GROWTH RATE AS EQUALLING OUR GROWTH IN THE U.S.

MR. IODICE WILL REMAIN IN ATLANTA FOR SEVERAL DAYS FOLLOWING THE SEMINAR TO MEET WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF LOCAL COMPANIES INTERESTED IN THE SPANISH MARKET.    ENVIRONMENTAL COMPANIES ENGAGED IN POLLUTION CONTROL, BIOTECHNOLOGY COMPANIES AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANIES ARE IDENTIFIED AS THE LEADING PROSPECTS FOR BECOMING INVOLVED IN THE SPANISH MARKET.

THE IDEA FOR THE COUNCIL GREW OUT OF A VISIT BY A TRADE MISSION FROM THE COMMUNITY OF MADRID IN APRIL OF LAST YEAR, WHICH WAS ORGANIZED BY MR. HAVNAER, WHO CURRENTLY IS WORKING WITH THE CONSULTA SOLUTIONS, A LOCAL CONSULTING FIRM.

AMONG THE OTHER OFFICERS INVOLVED IN LAUNCHING THE COUNCIL ARE: XAVIER GONZALES, SENIOR PROGRAM DIRECTOR OF THE 1996 ATLANTA PARALYMPIC GAMES, WILL SERVE AS VICE PRESIDENT. SIMONE VON WERDEN KRAUS, AN ATTORNEY WITH THE FIRM OF SMITH, GAMBRELL & RUSSELL, WILL BE THE SECRETARY, AND BOB TEMIN, A PRINCIPAL WITH THE CPA FIRM OF WINDHAM BRANNON PC, TREASURER.

ALTHOUGH THE COUNCIL WILL FUNCTION AS A CHAMBER AND SEEK MEMBERS AND SUPPORT FROM THE SAME POOL OF COMPANIES INVOLVED IN BUSINESS IN GERMANY, BRITAIN AND FRANCE, AND ELSEWHERE, MR. HAVNAER SAID THAT THE FOUNDERS DECIDED ON A DIFFERENT FORM BECAUSE THEY ALSO WANTED TO BE INVOLVED IN CULTURAL AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, MR. HAVNAER MAY BE REACHED BY CALLING (404) 303-9116, OR FAX (404) 303-0115.