Eduardo González
The 36th Spanish-Portuguese Summit, scheduled for January 29, has been postponed due to the train accident in Adamuz (Córdoba), Moncloa announced on Thursday, a fact confirmed by government sources to The Diplomat.
“In order to support those who have lost family and friends in the Adamuz train accident, all efforts will be focused on organizing the State Tribute that will take place on Saturday, January 31,” Moncloa announced in a press release. The state funeral will be held in Huelva, as agreed by the central government and the Andalusian Regional Government.
The town of La Rábida (Huelva) was to host the summit on January 29, which, as usual, was to be attended by a large delegation from both governments, headed by the President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, and the Portuguese Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro. Among the issues to be addressed was the signing of an agreement for the cleanup of the Minho River, as announced by the Portuguese Minister of Environment and Energy, Maria da Graça Carvalho.
The selection of La Rábida was made possible thanks to the efforts of all political parties with the Huelva Provincial Council and the support of the La Rábida Association for Ibero-American and Columbian Studies. At the 1999 Summit in Havana, Cuba, the Ibero-American heads of state declared La Rábida an Ibero-American Meeting Place, which meant it should host high-level meetings, something that has not yet happened.
Following the Adamuz train accident, which caused 43 deaths and dozens of injuries, the President of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, sent a message to King Felipe VI to express his “most sincere condolences and solidarity with the families of all those who lost their lives.”
For his part, Luís Montenegro conveyed to Pedro Sánchez “the full solidarity of Portugal with the Kingdom of Spain, and with the families and friends of the victims of the serious train accident in Córdoba.” “In addition to sharing the grief of our Spanish neighbors and friends, we offer them our support in any way necessary,” he added.
Likewise, the Portuguese Foreign Minister, Paulo Rangel, deeply regretted “the serious accident that occurred in Córdoba,” and expressed, on behalf of Portugal, “his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and his full solidarity with Spain and the Spanish people.”
