Spain and Portugal call for closer ties between the EU and NATO and the Southern Neighbourhood

Eduardo González The Foreign and Defence Ministers of Spain and Portugal have defended this Monday the strengthening of the relations of the European Union and NATO with the Southern Neighbourhood and have expressed their support to the Secretary General of the UN, António Guterres, “in the resolution of all conflicts”. The Santa Cruz Palace in Madrid, the headquarters of the Foreign Ministry, hosted this Monday the second meeting in 2+2 format between the Spanish Ministers of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, and Defense, Margarita Robles, and their Portuguese counterparts, Paulo Rangel and Nuno Melo, respectively. The holding of this ministerial meeting, in 2+2 format, precedes the Spanish-Portuguese Summit, which will be held this coming October 23 in Faro (Portugal). It is the second time that the Foreign and Defense ministers have met in this format, fulfilling the annual commitment provided for in the Trujillo Treaty of Friendship, adopted during the XXXII Spanish-Portuguese Bilateral Summit in October 2021 and which came into force in May 2023. The meeting “has served to highlight the coincidences of both countries on foreign policy and defense issues,” indicates the joint declaration adopted at the end of the meeting. “In the face of an extremely complex and volatile global situation, it is necessary to address the serious challenges to international peace and security: the Russian aggression against Ukraine, the Middle East conflict or the instability in the Sahel, as well as the humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan or the seriousness of the situation in the Great Lakes region,” it adds. “Spain and Portugal are working for an international order based on fair, supportive, inclusive and rules-based international law,” the text continues. Within this framework, the two Iberian countries “fully share the defence of multilateralism in the resolution of conflicts, within an integrated system of the United Nations and regional international organisations,” and “reaffirm their support for the Secretary-General of the United Nations and his action in the resolution of all conflicts,” the text adds, in response to the harsh criticism that Guterres has received from Israel for his attempts to mediate in the Middle East conflict. Furthermore, the two governments “recognise the need to invest in defence as a means of preserving peace” and, therefore, undertake to “promote initiatives aimed at facilitating the joint work of their respective defence industries within the bilateral framework, and to deepen forms of cooperation within the scope of the European Union and NATO, contributing to the affirmation and commitment of the Iberian Peninsula within the framework of strengthening the Technological and Industrial Base of European Defence”. Southern Neighbourhood On the other hand, Spain and Portugal, “NATO partners and allies”, are committed to giving even greater impetus to the “Strategic Concept” approved in Madrid in 2022, as well as to the recent declaration of the Washington Summit, and agree on a 360-degree approach to Euro-Atlantic security, “including the need to address both the eastern flank and instability coming from the South”. Therefore, the ministers of the two countries welcome the appointment of a Special Representative of the NATO Secretary General for the Southern Neighbourhood and commit to promoting “concrete initiatives to promote political dialogue and deepen practical cooperation on matters of common interest with the partners of the Southern Neighbourhood, as well as to consolidate a more structured and coherent approach of the Alliance on this geographical area”. In this same sense, and within the framework of the European Union, Spain and Portugal “reaffirm their commitment to strengthening relations between Europe and the Mediterranean, advocating the deepening and renewal of the EU-Southern Neighbourhood Partnership” and welcoming “the priority given to the region in the new European institutional cycle, especially the appointment of a Commissioner for the Mediterranean and the commitment to develop the New Pact for the Mediterranean”. In addition, Spain and Portugal defend the enlargement of the European Union, which “must occur in parallel with the reform of the Union”, while recognising that enlargement is a strategic investment in the peace, stability and prosperity of our continent, and therefore “welcome the progress being made in accession negotiations, among others with Ukraine and Albania”. Middle East As for the Middle East, Spain and Portugal recall that “they have condemned the attacks carried out by Iran in April and October against Israel” and make a “call for maximum restraint by the parties to avoid a regional war”. They also reiterate their concern about Israel's ground operation in Lebanon and the indiscriminate attacks against populated areas, and condemn the Israeli army's attacks against the UN Mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL). In addition, the two countries reiterate the need for "an immediate and lasting ceasefire" that would allow for "the immediate and unconditional release of the hostages and the massive entry of humanitarian aid," and commit to "maintaining their political and financial support for UNRWA and reject attempts to criminalize it and prevent its action in the Palestinian territories." The ministers of the two countries reiterate “their support for the return of the Palestinian Authority as the sole government of all the Palestinian territories as soon as possible” and agree that the implementation of the two-state solution “is the only way to definitively resolve the Middle East conflict and the basis for a fair and lasting peace in the region”, and therefore support the taking of “concrete and irreversible steps towards the implementation of the two-state solution, including the holding of an international peace conference as soon as possible”. “Spain and Portugal are committed to continuing to work towards this objective within the framework of the EU and the Global Partnership for the implementation of the two-state solution promoted by the EU and the Ministerial Contact Group for Gaza of the League of Arab States and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation”, the declaration continues. To date, the governments of Spain and Portugal have agreed on the main diagnosis of the situation in the Gaza Strip, but have differed on the convenience of recognising the Palestinian State now. While Spain took this step on May 28, the Prime Minister of Portugal, Luis Montenegro, warned a month earlier, during a meeting with the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, that it was preferable to first reach an “international consensus” within the EU and the UN. The declaration also includes a condemnation of “Russia’s unjustified and illegal aggression against Ukraine, which constitutes a flagrant violation of international law, including the Charter of the United Nations, and a threat to European and international security and stability.” Africa During the meeting, Spain and Portugal dedicated a special chapter to Africa, in their capacity as “two of the European Union’s closest countries” to the continent. In this regard, Albares reported on the new Spain-Africa Strategy, which will be presented shortly, and Paulo Rangel reported on the growing dynamism of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP), which already has 33 observer members, including Spain since 2021. Spain and Portugal recognize “the great synchronicity that exists” regarding their interests and strategic challenges in security and defense on the African side, especially in regions such as the Sahel, the Gulf of Guinea, Cabo Delgado and the Central African Republic, and they share “concern about recent regional dynamics that have led to multiple crises in the Sahel and the subsequent deterioration of the humanitarian situation.” In addition, the two countries commit to “promoting a timetable” for the holding of the EU-AU Summit.

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