The Diplomat
Last Tuesday, the Council of Ministers approved the referral to the Spanish Parliament of the agreement between Spain and Chile for the exchange and reciprocal protection of classified information in the field of defense, while authorizing Spain’s consent to be bound by the aforementioned agreement.
The objective of the agreement is to guarantee the protection of classified information generated or exchanged between the signatory countries, or by natural or legal persons under the jurisdiction of either of the two parties.
According to the Government, the ratification of the agreement will contribute to the preservation of Spain’s interests in its international relations, since “these sometimes require the exchange of information which, because it affects security or national interests, must have a degree of classification and be subject to special processes of use and handling in order to preserve that integrity”.
Specifically, in the field of the defense and armaments industry, manufacturing, assembly or supply contracts often involve the sharing of confidential devices or procedures, making it necessary to establish rules under which States can safely share such classified information.
“The agreement therefore constitutes an essential legal instrument that will favor the development of the Spanish defense industry and bilateral trade exchanges in this sector”, added the Council of Ministers. The signing of the agreement took place in Madrid on December 3, 2020, following authorization by the Council of Ministers on July 28, 2020.
