The Diplomat
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, presented yesterday in Madrid the new Africa Strategy, which aims to give a boost to Spain’s relations with the continent, to the secretaries of state of the various ministries involved.
The aim of this Strategy, according to a press release from the Foreign Ministry, is to make Spain’s relations with Africa more strategic, taking into account its neighbourhood and the dynamics underway in Africa. The Strategy also aims to accompany the economic and social transformation of the continent’s countries, with a focus on youth. The inter-ministerial meeting on the Africa Strategy took place at the Ministry’s headquarters in Marqués de Salamanca (Madrid).
“Unlike the three Africa Plans, this Strategy includes the entire continent, but pays special attention to West Africa and the Sahel,” the Ministry continued. Another distinctive element is that “Spain will coordinate with African countries at the multilateral level”, both with the European Union, assuming a greater role in the orientation and execution of European policy towards Africa, and with the UN and the G-20. The “first milestone” of the Strategy will be the IV International Conference on Financing for Development, which will take place in Seville in June 2025.
