The Diplomat
The European Union Special Representative for the Sahel, João Cravinho, was received this Thursday in Madrid by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, and the Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles, with whom he discussed the situation in the Sahel and West Africa.
“I met in Madrid with the EU Special Representative for the Sahel, João Cravinho. We discussed the situation in the Sahel and West Africa, priority regions for the foreign policy of Spain and the EU. We are working together for their stability and prosperity,” Albares wrote on social media.
For its part, the Ministry of Defense reported in a press release that Cravinho and Robles discussed the security situation in the Sahel and neighboring regions, such as the Gulf of Guinea and Lake Chad.
During the meeting, the minister stressed the need to collaborate with countries like Mali, to promote security “for our country and the rest of Europe” and emphasized “the importance for Spain of countering the presence and expansion of ISIS in the Sahel.” She also recalled “Spain’s leadership” in coordinating assistance to build capacity in African partner countries in the Sahel and West Africa to combat ISIS. Just over a year ago, Spain concluded its presence in the European mission in Mali, during which “the Spanish Armed Forces acted as trainers for more than 20,000 Malian soldiers,” she added.