The Diplomat
The US Embassy in Spain yesterday, following the visit of the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, to the White House to meet with the US President, Joe Biden, released a document outlining the areas in which the two countries cooperate.
The document highlights the military and humanitarian support that Spain is providing to Ukraine in the face of Russia’s invasion of that country and, in particular, the fact that it has provided equipment and training to the Ukrainian people to help them defend themselves, from Leopard tanks to armoured ambulances. It also values the sending of Spanish experts to Ukraine to assist in war crimes investigations and the reception of more than 173,000 Ukrainian refugees.
The document places special emphasis on the agreement reached on 8 May to station two more US Navy ships at the Rota Naval Base, reinforcing NATO’s deterrence posture and the Alliance’s collective security.
It also welcomes Spain’s acquisition from the United States of eight new maritime helicopters that will enable it to strengthen NATO’s capabilities and interoperability, referring to the MH-60Rs, equipped with missiles and rockets, for an estimated value of more than 820 million euros.
It also notes that since February 2022, Spain has played a leading role in NATO air surveillance in Lithuania, Bulgaria and Romania, supporting NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence in Latvia, deploying an air defence battery in Estonia and Turkey, and patrolling the Mediterranean Sea alongside NATO allies.
It also indicates that Madrid and Washington are committed to effectively coordinate their efforts to improve security and enhance development in the Sahel; and that they will organise a bilateral seminar in 2023 to strengthen their strategic relationship in cybersecurity.
In other matters, he recalled that Spain had just joined the Global Fund for Equality promoted by the United States as a donor partner, and listed the increase in cooperation in Latin America and the Caribbean in the area of migration.
He cited the agreement of 3 May between the United States, Spain and Canada to promote safe, orderly, humanitarian and regular migration channels in Latin America. It indicates that, as part of this commitment, Spain and the United States will work with other partners through the new Regional Migration Centres throughout the Western Hemisphere to facilitate access to legal migration channels to the United States and Spain for eligible individuals. Once fully operational, the centres will facilitate migrants’ access to legal pathways from wherever they are and prevent them from putting their lives and their savings in the hands of criminals.
It also indicates that the United States supports Spain’s efforts to strengthen existing foreign worker recruitment programmes to meet labour market needs and to develop a new complementary pathway for persons in need of international protection over the next three years. These pathways will be supported by corporate sponsors.
In addition, it notes that through the US-Spain working group on Central America, the two countries will continue to collaborate on issues of mutual interest in the region, such as governance and anti-corruption, support for civil society, humanitarian management of migration, and ways to enhance inclusive economic development.
The document also states that the United States welcomes Spain as a member of the executive steering committee of the Blue Dot Network, an initiative under which both countries will ensure that infrastructure projects meet fiscal, social, environmental, and governance standards that will advance the future of sustainable and inclusive infrastructure development.
It further indicates that, in the context of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU, during the second half of this year, the United States and Spain will cooperate closely to achieve an ambitious and balanced outcome at COP28, with the aim of keeping the 1.5°C target within reach.
Also, as announced during Sánchez’s visit to Biden, the document states that negotiations will continue on an agreement related to additional clean-up work at the site of the 1966 Palomares plane crash.
Finally, it states that cooperation in science and technology will be strengthened, with a renewed commitment to increase space cooperation through a partnership between NASA and the new Spanish Space Agency.
