Eduardo González
The Governments of Spain and the United States have committed to collaborating in the defense of “democracy, sustainable development and stability in the Sahel region” and in strengthening “local capacities to combat terrorism.”
This is stated in the Declaration of the Spain-United States Working Group on the Sahel, which met for the first time this past Monday in Washington. The Working Group was established on May 12 during the meeting between the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, and the President of the United States, Joe Biden, in the Oval Office of the White House, in Washington.
“The Governments of Spain and the United States are united in their commitment to fostering democracy, sustainable development, and stability in the Sahel region,” the Declaration begins. “They agreed to enhance collaboration in support of democratic institutions, in addressing humanitarian and development needs, particularly in conflict-affected areas, and in increasing local capacity to combat terrorism,” it adds.
The creation of this Working Group, the text continues, “symbolizes the shared dedication and willingness of Spain and the United States to collaborate on a host of global matters.” “This working group will continue to meet regularly to further the strong partnership between Spain and the United States on our policy in the Sahel and evaluate their effectiveness in alignment with the aspirations of the people of the Sahel,” the Declaration concludes.
The meeting of the Working Group was chaired by the ambassador of Spain in Special Mission for the Sahel, Antonio Sánchez-Benedito Gaspar, and the Undersecretary of State for African Affairs of the United States, Molly Phee, and was attended by representatives of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Spanish Embassy and the Department of State.
