The Diplomat
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Arancha González Laya, yesterday recalled that Spain has a “great commitment to the United States in the area of security and defence”, but admitted that any decision on the possible location of the Africa Command (Africom) at the Rota (Cadiz) base is the sole responsibility of Washington.
“Spain has a great commitment to the United States in terms of security and defence, and this great commitment has been demonstrated for many years from Rota and Morón”, the minister said in Madrid during a joint press conference with her Andorran counterpart, Maria Ubach, in relation to the information about the possible intention of the United States to move the Africom base to the Rota air and naval base.
“Spain maintains complicity and joint work” with the United States in the fight against terrorism and participates “in operations to combat terrorism in the Sahel, supporting European and international efforts to train armies and forces of order and security”, she continued. An example of this, he pointed out, is the current Spanish presidency of the Sahel Alliance, from which it is working “for a secure Sahel, with peace and development”. In any event, she warned, “everything relating to where the United States wants to locate the Africom base is the sole responsibility of the US government”.
