Catalonia and California strengthen business ties

California State Senator Jerry Hill said on Monday he hopes Catalonia and California can "continue to grow and embrace" their business partnership.

Hill met Catalan President Quim Torra and Business minister Àngels Chacón to discuss "economic opportunities" and "common interests," especially in terms of industry and Silicon Valley.

"We are partners in this world and we want to make sure we both can continue to succeed," said Senator Hill after his meeting with the Catalan president.

"We want to make sure we can foster opportunities economically," he added.

President Torra praised the partnership with California and insisted his trip aims to make successful "new investments of California in Catalonia, or the establishment of Catalan companies or professionals" in this US state.

Torra is on a four-day trip in the US that will see him meeting with several representatives of businesses and industries in the area of California. He is also expected to give a political talk at the Martin Luther King Institute, at Stanford University.