The Diplomat in Spain

Pedro Sánchez and Emmanuel Macron, during their meeting at La Moncloa./ Photo: Moncloa Pool / Fernando Calvo

The Diplomat. 27/07/2018

The governments of Spain and France yesterday showed their willingness to hold a meeting in Spanish territory between European and African ministers dedicated to migration issues to analyze immigration in African countries and «explore possible common initiatives.»

The will to hold this ministerial summit is included in a declaration on the challenge of immigration and asylum facing Europe, signed by Spain and France on the occasion of the meeting held in Moncloa by the Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, and the French president, Emmanuel Macron.

In the document, the two countries said they share the same strategy to «respond with humanity and effectiveness to the arrival in Europe of refugees and migrants.» Thus, Madrid and Paris are committed to strengthening Frontex and see it as «indispensable» to have more «human, material and legal» resources, protect the borders and facilitate the return of migrants without the right to asylum.

France and Spain support the «controlled centers» and landing platforms proposed by the European Commission to develop new tools together with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

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Both countries will stage on October 1 the end of ETA with an exhibition on material seized

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On the other hand, Sanchez and Macron also signed a joint statement advocating means to strengthen te euro zone an announced a solemn and joint ceremony for next October 1 in which all the material seized from the terrorist group ETA will be exposed and «in which it will be present the memory of all the victims «, in the words of the chief executive.

Regarding the trade agreement between Donald Trump and the president of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, Sánchez said that Spain is against the imposition of tariffs by the United States. «We do not want a trade war, but it is clear that the EU has made progress, and the Member States of Europe have a lot to say about the agreements with US», he said at the press conference.

Macron insisted that Europe and France have never had a trade war with the Trump Administration. «Yesterday’s conversation allows us to reject any tension, and it is positive … But a good business dialogue can only be made with a balanced relationship and in no case under the threat, we have concerns in this case, I am not in favor of starting negotiate a broad trade agreement because the context does not allow it», he warned.