The Council of Ministers approves the new Asia-Pacific Strategy

Eduardo González The Council of Ministers approved the new Asia-Pacific Strategy on Tuesday, December 9th. This strategy outlines Spain's foreign policy for the coming years in "a region that has become the true center of gravity of international relations." The document was presented during the meeting by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, and includes, among its main lines of action, the deepening of political relations and economic ties, with a diplomatic presence "commensurate with the importance of Asia-Pacific," according to a press release from the Ministry. The strategy also aims to work with regional partners “to achieve shared, sustainable, and secure prosperity,” contribute to Europe’s strategic projection in Asia-Pacific by “supporting new economic agreements and stable frameworks for relations,” and further strengthen cooperation through science, innovation, culture, public diplomacy, and inter-society connections “as an essential complement to the political and economic agenda.” In Albares’s words, this Strategy seeks to “align our interests, objectives, and strategic actions with a region central to contemporary geopolitics and geoeconomics,” and its implementation coincides with a time when “Asia-Pacific is gaining increasing prominence thanks to its demographic, economic, and technological weight.” To achieve the Strategy's objectives, the document presents several initiatives, such as the creation of a strategic dialogue mechanism with China at the ministerial level, the Spain-India Dual Year 2026, the signing of the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as the basis for cooperation with this organization, the creation of a ministerial commission on Asian affairs, and the strengthening of Spain's diplomatic presence in the Asia-Pacific region, which already includes 15 embassies, three diplomatic missions, and nine consulates general. In line with the objective of deepening political and economic relations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that various official trips and visits have taken place in recent years, such as the state visits of the Chinese president in 2018 and of the King and Queen of Spain to China in 2025, the first bilateral visits by a Spanish Prime Minister to Korea and Vietnam, and the first visit by a Spanish Prime Minister to India in 17 years. In addition, there have been trips by foreign ministers and ministers from other departments to China, Korea, the Philippines, India, Japan, and Pakistan. Joint action plans and objectives have also been adopted with strategic partners such as China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, New Zealand, and Vietnam. Albares had already outlined the main points of the Strategy to the Asian Ambassadors on December 2nd, following a round of consultations he held during his visits to countries such as China, India, and Pakistan, and in bilateral meetings with counterparts in the region. Foreign Action Strategy The Strategy elaborates on the guidelines for this region set out in a higher-level instrument, the Foreign Action Strategy 2025-2028, announced in June of this year, which emphasizes that Asia-Pacific is “increasingly the center of gravity of international relations, with a rising geopolitical and economic role that will continue over the next four years.” Within this framework, it continues, the Government's objective is “to forge a closer partnership with the main powers of Asia-Pacific, understood as an essential element for Spain's global projection, its economic security, and its commitment to an open, rules-based international order.” “Spain will continue to contribute to relations founded on respect for international law and the importance of preserving stability and security in this key region,” it adds. More specifically, the strategy envisions Japan and the Republic of Korea remaining “strategic partners for Spain” in areas such as investment, collaboration in sectors like renewable energy, automotive and digitalization, security and defense, and the promotion of Spanish language and culture. Furthermore, it proposes “an ambitious bilateral agenda with China, deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership now entering its third decade” and advocating for “EU-China relations in which differences do not undermine the need for a positive and cooperative agenda in the face of global challenges.” Regarding South Asia, the strategy states that “India will receive priority attention in accordance with its growing importance in the international order” and that Spain will contribute “to strengthening the EU-India strategic partnership and to finalizing negotiations to achieve agreements on free trade, investment protection, and geographical indications.” Furthermore, Spain will continue to promote the defense of the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan, strengthen relations with ASEAN “through the signing of the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation, which in the medium term will allow it to be elevated to the status of cooperation partner, like other European countries,” and reinforce political and economic dialogue with the Southeast Asian region, especially with Indonesia and Vietnam. In 2022, the Ministry appointed an Ambassador on Special Mission for the Indo-Pacific tasked with defending, within the priorities of the European Strategy, the interests of our country and reinforcing the leading role of Spain and the EU in the region.

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