The revitalisation of relations between the United States and Spain is already underway
The event 'Biden-Harris foreign policy: the US is back. The bilateral relationship with Spain', organised by the US Embassy in Madrid, the INCIPE Foundation and the Spain-America Council Foundation, provided an opportunity for an in-depth reflection on the general outlines of the new Biden Administration, in which the Chargé d'Affaires of the Embassy itself, Conrad Tribble, highlighted the new and positive prospects for bilateral relations between Spain and the US. In this sense, the US diplomat focused on the reconstruction of alliances damaged during the last four years and described China, climate change (where he called for direct collaboration with Spain), Russia and COVID as new global challenges and existential threats. "The problems cannot be tackled by one country alone, and to shape these challenges, we expect a lot from Spain and the EU, in the recovery from the pandemic, in greater financial security and the creation of a more inclusive global economy.
In view of a new administration and possible modifications that could be made, yet to be specified in military matters, Tribble said he did not foresee major changes, but he did foresee some more and better ones. "There will be more cooperation in Africa and we will take joint decisions in this hot area, above all, in the search for and development of economic and social solutions," the diplomat explained, making it clear that the bilateral relationship in security matters has always been supported by both administrations, and that currently, we will be looking for ways to improve in benefit of common interests.
Likewise, Spain will be a highly important ally. The new Biden Administration will actively encourage Spain to take on a greater international leadership role and play a leading role in Cuban and Venezuelan democracies; in the development of Central America; in Africa (Sahel); in efforts to counter Russian aggression; and in the defence of human rights around the world. "We will make sure that the connections remain in place, and we can see this in the increase in student exchanges that is taking place, for example. Diplomacy is made by and for people".
In practical terms, Tribble announced that there have already been contacts at the highest level between the Spanish and US governments, so the pace of work has increased considerably. "We express a willingness to work actively to strengthen our bilateral relationship with Spain. Of course, it matters a great deal, given that the new Biden Administration is aware that bilateral trade is very significant, at 39 billion euros a year, a figure that is expected to increase even more after the pandemic. The US continues to be the largest source of foreign direct investment in Spain, creating a total of 178,000 jobs in our country, without forgetting that Spanish companies have invested a total of 65,000 million euros in the US, creating a total of 84,000 jobs in America.
The US diplomat stressed that bilateral cooperation in the field of military defence is crucial. He acknowledged Spain's work in defending NATO's southern flank, contributing to peace and security in the region for decades, thanks to the 2,300 troops deployed on support missions. In this way, Americans and Spaniards have been able to build local force capabilities that increase security, defuse conflict and effectively counter terrorism. "The extraordinary hospitality to our military personnel stationed at the Morón and Rota bases has been the mainstay of the relationship between the two nations. Some 4,000 US military personnel and their 3,000 family members have created 5,000 direct jobs, to the added benefit of the local Andalusian economy, which provides them with 250 million euros a year.
Still in the global context, the United States is returning to and yearning to re-establish the international order prior to the Donald Trump administration. The activation of alliances and deep connections with partners in the EU is already underway. Allies in Europe are needed to face new challenges, especially Spain. "I want to send a clear message to the world: America is back; the Transatlantic alliance is back because it is our cornerstone of what we hope to achieve," Tribble said, evoking Biden's words in one of his first speeches.
Thus, in the first 65 days of the Biden Administration, the US government hopes to execute joint responses with partners in Europe to confront Russia's alleged cyberattacks, initiate a transatlantic approach to concerns with China, and at all times promote its commitment to NATO. Conrad Tribble referred to the conclusion of trips to South Korea, Japan, India and Australia to improve collaboration on vaccine delivery, combat climate change and safeguard emerging technologies.
On the other hand, the replacement for the new plenipotentiary, yet to arrive in Madrid, argued that Russia's problem is its own damaging behaviour towards others, interfering in free elections in the US and other nations, or personal attacks on dissidents that are not acceptable in a world of rules. According to Tribble, it is a non-military threat to our security. The use of disinformation campaigns and corruption used as a weapon to fuel distrust in democracies, as well as cyber-attacks targeting critical infrastructure and the theft of intellectual property. "We remain open to improved relations, but Russia continues to engage in activities that attack our shared common values. I know that there is a review of how we can meet this challenge, but together with Europe.
The diplomat from the US headquarters in Madrid described China as "the great geopolitical challenge to Western democracies, and a great threat to our shared interests and values in all areas", which is why Spain must cooperate to confront "this great evil", without forgetting that it will also have to seek suitable formulas for collaborating with China, but always with equal rules. Together we can confront China's economic behaviour, such as the widespread theft of international property or its maritime disputes that violate international law; we must work effectively to guarantee a level commercial playing field", Conrad Tribble clarified.
In the same vein, the chargé d'affaires did not forget his meeting with Chinese counterparts in Alaska, whose discussions, described as "frank", yielded serious results, such as the sanctions imposed on Chinese government officials for alleged serious human rights abuses against ethnic minorities. "Coordinating with the EU, Canada and the UK is creating a unified front to identify alleged crimes and rights violations", as I say in China, "and to disrupt access to the international financial system by abusers and promote accountability", the US diplomat said.
The new Biden Administration has already begun its new mandate and warns on US foreign policy towards Cuba that no change is to be expected on the island and its conditionalities. On re-establishing official bilateral relations and "re-baptising the island" in a new direction, Conrad Tribble said that Biden already has Obama's experience and appreciates the personal contacts between the two countries, given that he sees the citizens of Cuba as very powerful. It is clear that no decisions have been made yet and that he does not know what will happen in the future. Tribble believes that Cubans' problems will be solved by building bridges to dialogue with the same or new Cuban authorities (referring to the imminent departure of Raúl Castro at the Communist Party Congress in April) and not by US mediation. "Cubans' problems are solved among Cubans". We are talking about a political elite that has shown no flexibility in moving forward". The Chargé d'Affaires of the US Embassy, Conrad Tribble, ended his speech by alluding to the fact that many international processes are in a phase of re-evaluation, given that nothing is predetermined, and that the new positions in the State Department have yet to be assigned. "I do not want to fail to reiterate advances such as rejoining the Paris climate agreement and the WHO, and the commitment to Spain, assuming greater international leadership in various regions," he added.
Carmen Chamorro García, CIP/ACPE board member and graduate of ADESYD