Sánchez assures that Spain has achieved “greater international influence” in 2024

Eduardo González The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, presented this Monday in Moncloa the balance of the political course, which was marked by “noise, tripping, fake news and the disloyalty of some” and in which, thanks to “an ambitious and effective foreign policy”, Spain “enjoys greater influence and international prestige”. “Those who promise to raise impossible fences and walls and isolate the daily life of the Spanish people from what happens even if it is thousands of kilometers from here, such as the war in Ukraine; what happens just a few kilometers from here, such as the Maghreb or the Sahel; or what happens in Latin America, in the United States or on the Asian continent, they are wrong or, what is worse, they are lying,” declared Pedro Sánchez in the press conference after the last Council of Ministers of the year, in which he presented the balance of the political year. “We live in a global system and in an interconnected economy and, therefore, the wars, the instability, the reactionary advances that are taking place, the poverty that occurs in other countries, evidently affect us and are part of our debate and, of course, of the public action that we deploy from the Government of Spain,” he warned. Therefore, he continued, one of the priorities of this legislature is “to deploy an ambitious and effective foreign policy based on openness, the increase of our allies, and the defense of multilateralism and peace, and to do so in a coherent manner, in all places, saying the same thing, both in Ukraine, as in Palestine or the Maghreb.” “It is undeniable that this policy is bearing fruit,” he assured. “In 2024, Spain has actively participated in international summits, such as NATO in Washington, the European Political Community in the United Kingdom, COP29 in Azerbaijan and the G20 in Brazil,” he added. “Therefore, our country enjoys greater influence, greater international prestige, and this is confirmed by the foreign press,” Pedro Sánchez said. Throughout the year, he explained, the Government has “intensified” “relations with the African continent, increased visits and the signing of strategic agreements, especially with the countries of West Africa, Mauritania, Gambia, Senegal”; has approved “a new Spain-Africa Strategy 2025-2028” and has “strengthened bilateral ties with 98 countries, including no less than China and India, which are two of the most populated countries on the planet,” he continued. Another milestone of the year, she said, is “the State of Palestine, which we recognised last May and with which we held the first high-level meeting a few weeks ago.” He also stressed that “we have managed to ensure that the First Executive Vice-Presidency of the European Commission, with direct control of the Directorate-General for Competition, which is very important, the supervision of general directorates, such as climate action, energy, environment, taxation, health, food safety and housing, falls to a very dear person like Teresa Ribera.” “Never before has Spain had a position of such influence and weight in Brussels,” he said. “I would like to remind you that there are two women in this Government, Nadia Calviño and Teresa Ribera, who are in charge of this first vice-presidency and of the European Investment Bank (EIB),” he added.

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