The Diplomat
The State Secretary for Foreign and Global Affairs, Diego Martínez Belío, toured Japan and India this week to hold rounds of political consultations with his counterparts in both countries to strengthen the extraordinary relationship, the Ministry reported on Friday.
“These meetings highlight that Japan and India are key partners for Spain, with whom our country shares a firm commitment to multilateralism and international law,” the Ministry, headed by José Manuel Albares, stated in a press release.
Martínez Belío began his tour on Tuesday, November 11, in Tokyo, with a meeting with the Japanese Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, Takeshi Akahori. These consultations, held within the framework of the Strategic Partnership concluded in 2018, addressed bilateral relations, especially economic and scientific exchanges, the war in Ukraine, and the situation in the Indo-Pacific, among other issues of common interest.
The visit to Japan also included meetings at parliament with representatives of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, Ishin no Kai, and a meeting with representatives of leading Japanese think tanks.
Following his time in Tokyo, the State Secretary held political consultations in New Delhi with the Indian State Secretary for Western Affairs, Sibi George, with whom he discussed the state of bilateral relations between Spain and India and other regional and global issues.
The meeting, held on Thursday, November 13, served to deepen cooperation in the political, economic, and technological spheres, with a view to the celebration, in 2026, of the Spain-India Dual Year, focused on tourism, culture, and artificial intelligence. During his visit to New Delhi, the State Secretary also had the opportunity to meet with Indian experts in the fields of international relations and security.