Eduardo González
Yesterday in Madrid, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, assured the Minister of European Affairs of the Czech Republic, Martin Dvořák, that Spain is a “reliable and indispensable partner” in the defense of security on the eastern flank of NATO. For his part, the Czech minister called for a more “competitive” Europe in terms of defense because “Russia is not going to stop in Ukraine.”
Albares received his Czech counterpart at the Ministry headquarters in Plaza del Marqués de Salamanca, where he addressed, among other issues, the need to “prioritize the enlargement of the European Union” through “an inclusive and rigorous process” and to advance the conclusion of trade agreements with third countries, with special mention to the EU-Mercosur Association Agreement.
The meeting also addressed support for Ukraine, “reiterating the commitment of both countries to stability and peace in the region,” as well as the current situation in the Middle East and the need for a permanent ceasefire, the opening of channels for the massive entry of humanitarian aid and the release of all the hostages, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a press release.
Subsequently, Albares and Dvořák participated in the inauguration of the first Czech-Spanish conferences, held at the headquarters of the Ortega-Marañón Foundation, under the motto ‘United in Europe, different paths, a common goal’, within the framework of the twentieth anniversary of Czechia’s entry into the European Union.
During his speech at this event, Albares assured that Spain and the Czech Republic “have been united these 20 years with the common objective of continuing to advance towards the construction of a safer Europe for our citizens and that is directly threatened by the unjustified aggression of “Russia against Ukraine, a war at the gates of the union, which also shakes the foundations of the rules-based international order.”
For this reason, the minister warned of the need for Europe to “strongly lead the defense of peace” and, within that objective, to “reinforce” democracies through “true politics, dialogue and calm debate” and to “lower the tone of public debate to recover the founding consensus of the European project.”
“We cannot allow hoaxes, lies and systematic personal attacks that weaken our democracy, much less lead to a dangerous escalation of violence like in Slovakia,” he said, referring to the recent assassination attempt against Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico. In this context, he assured, the European elections of June 9 “are not just another call, but a crucial moment in which it is essential to defend democracy.”
In terms of security, Albares reiterated to the Czech minister “Spain’s commitment” to the security of the EU, with special attention to the countries of Eastern Europe, because “deterrence on the eastern flank of NATO is fundamental.” “These are not empty words,” the minister warned, in reference to Spain’s participation in NATO missions in the Baltic and in the Alliance’s land brigade in Slovakia, under whose command “we will take over” and whose base It is located 225 kilometers from the border with Ukraine. “Spain is a reliable and indispensable partner for the security of the eastern flank,” he said.
At the same event, and during a conversation with the director of the Elcano Royal Institute, Charles Powell, Martin Dvořák warned that, among the great challenges facing the EU, the need to “protect democratic values for the future” and to address the ability to “protect the entire EU thanks to force and taking into account what has happened in Ukraine.” “Russia will not stop at Ukraine, and if Ukraine falls, we will be next.” he stated.
For this reason, he stated, European States must “be able to reflect” and prepare to “be competitive in defense matters.” “It saddens me that Europe has promised so much ammunition to Ukraine and has not been able to deliver on those numbers,” he lamented. “We Europeans remain sleepy, in limbo, we believe that the threat is far away, that there is no danger, but we must wake up, be more prepared, because we are under pressure,” he added.
