External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met with Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation Jose Manuel Albares to discuss various aspects of bilateral cooperation. The meeting covered trade, investments, defense, technology, education, and people-to-people ties between India and Spain. Jaishankar expressed gratitude for Spain’s support in enhancing relations between India and the European Union.
In the discussions, Jaishankar highlighted the importance of closer collaboration between India and Spain, especially in addressing shared challenges like combating terrorism. Both countries emphasized their warm relations based on democratic values, multilateralism, and a rule-based order. India and Spain are set to commemorate the 70th anniversary of their diplomatic ties in 2026.
Jaishankar also mentioned India’s upcoming AI Impact Summit, emphasizing the country’s human-centric and ethical approach to artificial intelligence. The economic partnership between India and Spain was underscored, with bilateral trade exceeding USD 8 billion in recent years. Both countries see significant potential for further enhancing business cooperation.
Spanish Foreign Minister Albares acknowledged India’s growing global significance and called for deepening bilateral ties. He expressed the importance of finalizing the India-European Union Free Trade Agreement as a significant step forward. Albares mentioned the upcoming visit of Spanish President Pedro Sanchez to India and hoped for a reciprocal visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Spain.
