PP asks Government to increase the number of Defense attachés abroad

Eduardo González The People’s Parliamentary Group in Congress has asked the Government to increase the number of Defense attachés abroad and to create attachés in all countries in which Spain has Defense and International support missions deployed. In a non-legislative proposal presented on November 8 for debate in the Defense Committee, the People’s Parliamentary Group in Congress recalls that the Defense Attachés are technical bodies in the Diplomatic Missions of Spain that are determined by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defense. The Defense Attachés and other members of the Attachés perform functions and duties similar to other members of the Diplomatic Missions according to their level, subject to the protocol rules of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defense. In addition, they depend organically and functionally on the General Secretariat of Defense Policy of the Ministry of Defense, although they maintain coordination and information relations with the Chiefs of Staff and other senior Defense officials, within their respective competencies. Among its specific functions, within the framework of defense policy, are those of supporting and advising the head of the Diplomatic Mission, keeping him informed of its activities and promoting relations with the receiving State: providing information of interest to the governing bodies of the Ministry of Defense, ensuring timely coordination with the General Directorate of Defense Policy; interacting with the defense authorities of the receiving State to gather information and communicate national positions, when necessary or determined; supporting the initiatives of the Ministry of Defense in the receiving State and, finally, providing support to Spanish military delegations and missions in the country, in sectoral aspects. “These attachés play an invaluable role, particularly in conflict zones where Spain contributes to the restoration of peace and international order, as is the case of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia,” says the PP. “Their presence is also fundamental in countries where Spain maintains foreign missions with active troops,” it adds. Currently, these attachés are present in sixteen countries and, in addition, “they are a crucial element of the ‘Spain brand’, supporting the national Defense industry and contributing to economic diplomacy by supporting the export of weapons components and promoting commercial relations in the Defense sector”, the motion continues. “Given its strategic nature and the fact that National Defense is a matter of State, it is essential that the Government informs the Defense Commission annually about the number of Attachés deployed abroad and the tasks they carry out, thus guaranteeing transparency and unity of action”, warns the People’s Group. For all these reasons, the Non-Law Proposal urges the Government to increase the Defense attachés abroad “taking into account the need for the attaché, the requests of the Embassies and the reports of the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation on the needs in this regard”. It also proposes “creating a new Office of the Special Attaché, if one does not already exist, in each of the countries where Spain has deployed Defense and International Support missions”. The motion also calls on the Government to “inform the Defense Commission, once a year, of the number of Defense Attachés deployed abroad and the tasks they are being entrusted with”.

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