India seeks Spain's cooperation in strengthening ties with the European Union
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, met this Monday in Madrid with his Indian counterpart, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, who requested the support of ‘the voice of Spain’ to ‘deepen’ New Delhi's relations with the European Union. Jaishankar, who is in Madrid to take part in the 9th Annual Conference of Spanish Ambassadors, stressed the importance of this support during his visit, his first official visit as Minister to Spain.
As reported by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, Jaishankar ‘will meet with the leaders of Spain’ and ‘hold talks’ with Albares ‘on the broad spectrum of bilateral relations, as well as regional and global issues of common interest’ during his two-day trip.
The Indian chief diplomat will also participate in the 9th Annual Conference of Ambassadors of Spain and meet the Indian community in the European country, according to the statement.
The Spanish Ambassadors' Conference is an annual event organised by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which brings together diplomats and authorities to address key issues of the country's foreign policy, as well as to analyse international challenges and strengthen Spanish diplomatic action at the global level. This event becomes a space for exchange and reflection on the priorities of Spanish diplomacy and its role in the international context.
During their meeting with Albares, the two ministers discussed bilateral partnership, including trade, investment, defence, security, urban development, railways, green hydrogen, climate action and people-to-people links, Jaishankar said on social media.
The two ministers also signed agreements on sports and sustainable urban development and reviewed bilateral trade, which currently stands at about 10 billion euros, with a focus on expanding economic cooperation.
Albares, for his part, emphasised during a joint press conference the shared commitment to strengthen ties, particularly in light of the upcoming India-EU bilateral summit. This meeting aims to establish a new strategic agenda between the two regions, focusing on cooperation in trade, defence, culture and sustainable development.
The defence and security partnership was also highlighted during the talks, underlining defence achievements, including the recent delivery of the C295 military transport aircraft. In this context, both sides expressed their interest in intensifying collaborations in this industry and fostering stronger naval ties given Spain's growing presence in the Indo-Pacific region.
Jaishankar's visit to Spain comes just months after Spanish President of the Government Pedro Sanchez's trip to India, who became the first Spanish leader to visit the Asian country in nearly two decades. During his visit, Sánchez inaugurated the final assembly plant of the Airbus C295 aircraft, as part of a flagship project of the ‘Make in India’ policy.
In this regard, the Indian minister expressed New Delhi's enthusiasm to welcome more Spanish companies to participate in initiatives such as Make in India and Design in India. With 230 Spanish companies already present in India, this partnership offers immense potential for growth.
