The Diplomat
Spain and Chile yesterday held in Madrid the VIII meeting of the Mechanism of Bilateral Political Consultations, in which a series of priority chapters for the bilateral relationship were identified: feminist foreign policy, environmental and marine protection, collaboration in science and innovation, triangular development cooperation, historical memory, migration agenda and security.
These consultations, which were chaired by the Secretary of State for Ibero-America, the Caribbean and Spanish in the World, Juan Fernández Trigo, and Chile’s Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs, Ximena Fuentes Torrijo, take place in accordance with the provisions of the Strategic Partnership signed in 2013 between the two countries.
“As strategic partners and countries that advocate active multilateralism”, Spain and Chile exchanged views on the most important aspects of current international affairs, such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its impact on world food and energy security, or the celebration of the next United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP27, to be held in Sharm El Sheikh. The meeting reflected the good climate of understanding and dialogue between the two countries and the coincidence of visions on different matters.
The meeting allowed the participants to congratulate each other for the existing cooperation between Spain and Chile in all matters related to Antarctica, and to express their willingness to continue deepening it in the future. Spain also took the opportunity to thank and express its appreciation to the Chilean authorities for the cooperation they always provide in the Antarctic Campaign.
According to the Foreign Ministry, cooperation relations between the two countries will continue to be strengthened, especially in their regional and triangular dimension, which is why the programming of the use of the Spain-Chile Triangular Cooperation Mixed Fund is being reactivated.
Association Agreement
In the interregional sphere, both parties reviewed the prospects for the modernization of the EU-Chile Association Agreement, which is twenty years old, with the aim of taking the strategic relationship between the EU and Chile to a new stage, for which both governments are committed to promoting this updating process. The agreement may contain elements on sustainable development and gender policies that are in line with the priorities of the respective governments.
The state of relations between the European Union and Latin America and the Caribbean as a whole was another of the topics addressed. Spain reiterated its willingness for the Spanish presidency of the Council of the European Union, during the second half of 2023, to serve as an opportunity to relaunch a relationship that should be more substantive and productive, and to which a Summit of EU-CELAC Heads of State and Government will give impetus. The two parties also agreed on the importance of maintaining the commitment to the Ibero-American Conference and the desirability of maintaining participation at the highest level in its meetings, starting with the next summit, to be held in March in the Dominican Republic.
Spain is the third largest foreign investor in Chile and the excellent bilateral economic relations now have renewed potential. It is a strategic, diversified investment with a clear vocation for permanence. In addition, consular aspects of interest for the respective communities residing in the two countries have also been discussed.
