King Felipe VI defends “a genuine Europe of security and defense” in the face of conflicts such as the Middle East and Ukraine

Eduardo González King Felipe VI defended before the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Luxembourg the need for “a Europe with greater strategic sovereignty, moving towards a genuine Europe of security and defense,” to address the “serious collateral damage” of the Middle East conflict and the pursuit of a “just and lasting peace” in Ukraine. The King and Queen received the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, Willem V and Stéphanie, at the Royal Palace of Madrid this Thursday, marking the beginning of a two-day introductory visit to Spain. Willem V, 44, has been the Grand Duke of Luxembourg (and therefore head of state) since October 3, following the abdication of his father, Grand Duke Henri, after 25 years on the throne. Willem V is the seventh Grand Duke of Luxembourg since 1890, when the modern monarchy was established. The two delegations for the visit included, from Spain, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares; the Chief of Staff of the Royal Household, Camilo Villarino; and the Spanish Ambassador to Luxembourg, María Nieves Blanco, among others. From Luxembourg, the delegation included the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Xavier Bettel; the Minister of Economy, SMEs, Energy and Tourism, Lex Delles; and the Minister of Finance, Gilles Roth; as well as the Luxembourg Ambassador to Spain, Elisabeth Cardoso Jordao. Following the King's bilateral meeting with Willem-Alexander, along with the delegations from both countries, the King and Queen and the Grand Duke and Duchess of Luxembourg proceeded to the State Dining Room and took their places at the head table. Before lunch began (attended by the Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, and Minister Albares), the King delivered a brief address in which he affirmed that Spain and Luxembourg share "a commitment to stability and international cooperation" and therefore view "with enormous concern and worry the critical and especially dangerous situation in the Middle East and the Gulf region." "It should come as no surprise that we also join in the calls for restraint in the use of force, the utmost respect for the life and safety of the civilian population, and the pursuit of diplomatic solutions, as well as for the guarantee of freedoms and human rights in the face of repression," he added. “The risk to which such a vast and strategically important region is subjected compels us to express our deepest solidarity with the countries suffering the serious collateral damage of the conflict,” he warned. Furthermore, he continued, “as Europeans, we cannot forget the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, where four years after its beginning, peace remains elusive.” “We reaffirm our defense of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and our commitment to diplomacy as the means to achieve a just and lasting peace based on the universal values that uphold human dignity,” he added. “All of this—all these conflict zones, and others, also obscured in the media but which must not be forgotten, in Africa and Asia—reaffirms our need to remain united,” he warned. “We need a Europe with greater strategic sovereignty, moving towards a genuine Europe of security and defense, even more firmly rooted in solidarity and responsibility, even more open and prosperous, even more capable of clearly asserting its voice in the world and preserving the inalienable principles that shape our common identity,” he stated. Agreements signed with Pedro Sánchez The Grand Duke of Luxembourg was also received by the Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez. During the meeting, three Memoranda of Understanding were signed to strengthen energy cooperation, space cooperation for peaceful purposes, and to hold political consultations on a rotating basis between Spain and Luxembourg.

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