Sánchez, Albares, García-Margallo and González Laya regret the death of Carlos Westendorp, Felipe González’s last Foreign Minister

Eduardo González The Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez; the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares; and several former heads of Spanish diplomacy, such as Arancha González Laya and José Manuel García-Margallo, have expressed their sorrow at the passing of Carlos Westendorp, who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs between 1995 and 1996. “Today we say goodbye to Carlos Westendorp, an exemplary public servant and staunch European. He was a mentor to me and a constant source of inspiration. A defender of peace and international law over force. We will miss you, my friend,” Pedro Sánchez posted on social media. “Rest in peace, Carlos Westendorp, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, a key figure in foreign policy, and an exemplary public servant. His commitment to the European project, dialogue, and peace represents the best values of our diplomacy. My condolences to his loved ones,” wrote José Manuel Albares. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has expressed its sorrow at the passing of Carlos Westendorp, who, “throughout his career, played a prominent role in consolidating Spain’s presence in Europe and in promoting peace and international cooperation.” “The Ministry extends its deepest condolences to his family and loved ones,” the Ministry added via social media. “It is with deep sorrow that I learned of the death of my friend Carlos Westendorp. He was a great diplomat who dedicated his life to Spain and to world peace. May he rest in peace,” posted García-Margallo, Minister of Foreign Affairs between 2011 and 2016, under the presidency of Mariano Rajoy (PP). “Carlos Westendorp, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Spain, has left us. He was committed to the EU, to dialogue, and to the search for understanding, even in the most complex contexts. May the earth rest lightly upon you, Carlos,” wrote González Laya, Minister of Foreign Affairs between 2019 and 2021 and Albares' immediate predecessor. Carlos Westendorp y Cabeza, born in Madrid in January 1937 and who died this Monday at the age of 89, was Minister of Foreign Affairs from December 19, 1995, to May 6, 1996. He was, therefore, the last head of Spanish diplomacy during the long period of government of the socialist Felipe González. A descendant of a family of painters and bankers of Dutch origin and a law graduate, Carlos Westendorp entered the Diplomatic Service in 1964. After various postings abroad (from 1966 to 1969 he was Deputy Consul General in São Paulo, Brazil; and from 1975 to 1979, Commercial and Economic Counselor at the Spanish Embassy in The Hague, Netherlands) and in Spain (between 1969 and 1975, he was Head of Economic Studies at the Diplomatic School, Director of Technological Agreements at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Chief of Staff to the Minister of Industry), he dedicated a large part of his professional career to Spain's integration into the European Communities. Between 1979 and 1985, at the Ministry of European Affairs, he successively held the positions of Advisor to the Minister, Chief of Staff to the Minister, and Secretary General of the Ministry, from which position he chaired the technical team in charge of the accession negotiations. In 1986, when Spain joined the European Communities, he was appointed its first Permanent Representative. He chaired the Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER) during Spain's first Presidency of the EEC in 1989. From 1991 to 1995, he was Spain's Secretary of State for the European Union, which allowed him to be involved in Spain's EU Presidency in 1995. This coincided with the adoption of the euro, the launch of the Barcelona Process, and the signing of the Transatlantic Agenda. He also chaired the working group to prepare the negotiations on treaty reform, which concluded with the adoption of the Treaties of Amsterdam and Nice. In December 1995, he was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs, a position he held until the end of the last government led by Felipe González. In May 1996, he was appointed Spain's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York and, from 1997 to 1999, served as Deputy High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, which gave him the authority to make the necessary decisions to implement the Dayton Agreement, such as citizenship laws and the creation of a new flag and national anthem. In 1999, he was elected to the European Parliament representing the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE). He chaired the Parliament's Committee on Industry, Trade, Energy and Research until 2003. In 2003, he was elected to the Regional Assembly of Madrid and became the Socialist Group's spokesperson on economic affairs. Westendorp was a co-founder and executive vice-president of the Toledo Center for Peace. Following the 2004 elections, in which the PSOE, led by José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, won, he was appointed ambassador to the United States, a post he held until 2008. In April 2010, he was appointed secretary general of the Club of Madrid. He has been awarded various Spanish and foreign decorations, including the Grand Cross of the Order of Charles III and the Officer of the Legion of Honor.

Related Content

An American diplomat in the Sevillian Holy Week of the 19th century

17th century Madrid's Holy Week in the eyes of a Muslim Ambassador

Spain and 17 other countries call for an end to Israeli military operations in Lebanon and Hezbollah attacks

The Holy Week in Baroque Madrid told by a French aristocrat

EU Member States give green light to Gibraltar agreement with the United Kingdom