The Diplomat
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, declared yesterday in Brussels, before participating in the first Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) of the Spanish Presidency, that he has received the support of European and Latin American leaders for the continuity of Pedro Sánchez in the Government and that “there is concern” for Europe due to the presence “of forces contrary to European values”, in reference to Vox.
Albares made these statements, just three days before the general elections were held, during a meeting with the press before the FAC, in which the sanctions against Russia and Ukraine were extended until January 31, 2024, the situation was addressed in Ukraine with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of this country, Dmytro Kuleba, and with the Secretary of State of the United States, Antony Blinken (both by videoconference), they discussed the dimension of economic security in matters of foreign policy and there were a working lunch on Turkey.
According to the minister, the Executive has received “shows that this government must continue to lead Spain and the Spanish Presidency of the EU.” “Obviously”, he continued, “there is concern in Spain and in other European countries about the presence in Spain and in many European countries of political forces that are clearly contrary to European values, the values of pluralism, the values of democracy”, and that they “openly” oppose the European Green Pact, “such an important policy for the economic transition” in Europe.
Likewise, Albares stated that during the recent EU-CELAC Summit, held this week in Brussels, “many colleagues” conveyed to him “the wish that this government and President Sánchez, a government of a Europeanist president and committed to European values” , continue to lead the country.
Regarding the FAC, Albares declared before it began (there were no subsequent national press conferences) that the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU will “work to maintain the unity of Europe around the European values of pluralism, tolerance, of democracy, sovereignty and respect for the internationally recognized borders of Ukraine”.
He also assured that the European Union will do “everything possible” to resume the agreement with the UN for the export of grain from Ukraine through the Black Sea, which Russia withdrew unilaterally last Monday. “The Europeans, and of course Spain, are going to do everything possible so that this agreement is resumed,” he declared. In the meantime, he assured, the EU and Spain are going to help, with their bilateral development cooperation programs, the countries “that in the short and medium term are suffering the most from this situation.” “There is only one responsible for this blocking of the agreement, which is Russia, and this has to be made clear. Russia is responsible for the illegal aggression against Ukraine and its economic and social consequences,” he warned.
