Spain and Saudi Arabia elevate their bilateral relationship to the highest level with the signing of a Strategic Partnership Agreement

Eduardo González Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares received his Saudi Arabian counterpart, Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, in Madrid on Wednesday, where they signed a Strategic Partnership Agreement that elevates the bilateral relationship to the highest possible level between the two states. “We have signed an agreement by which we elevate our relationship to a Strategic Partnership and establish the Strategic Partnership Council between the Kingdom of Spain and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” Albares announced in a statement to the media, without taking questions, after meeting with Faisal bin Farhan at the Ministry headquarters in the Palacio de Viana. This Strategic Partnership Council, he continued, “is a coordination mechanism to further develop our bilateral relations and represents the culmination of the deep and growing bilateral relationship based on the closeness and friendship that unite the Spanish and Saudi peoples and the political will of both governments to work together to address global challenges.” According to the minister, “the Council meetings will alternate between Spain and Saudi Arabia and will focus on political and security, trade and economic, defense, energy, transport, and cultural issues.” In addition, the two ministers also signed “a reciprocal visa exemption agreement for holders of diplomatic, special, and service passports,” which “further consolidates our already close relations,” he added. According to Albares, the bilateral relationship has allowed for “significant results in recent years in areas of mutual cooperation such as security and defense, trade and investment, culture, and multilateral affairs.” “I also expressed my gratitude for the invitation to participate in Expo 2030, which will take place in Riyadh, and which we hope will be a great success,” he continued. “The Prime Minister has already confirmed Spain’s participation in this event, and I reiterated it today. We will ensure that Spain’s contribution meets Saudi Arabia’s expectations and contributes to the advancement of international cooperation, intercultural dialogue, and innovation,” he added. Separately, the bilateral meeting addressed the “excellent state of economic and trade relations.” “Saudi Arabia is our main trading partner in the Middle East,” Albares affirmed. “Last year, we exported goods worth €2.27 billion, and there is sustained growth in Spanish exports, reflecting a solid and increasingly diversified bilateral economic relationship,” he specified. According to the minister, Saudi Arabia is undertaking “an extraordinary modernization process, with an ambitious vision for 2030 that Spain will continue to support and in which we will continue to actively participate.” Furthermore, he continued, “Saudi Arabia exercises decisive leadership in favor of peace in the Middle East and in many other vital aspects of the international agenda.” “Its role, and I want to publicly acknowledge this, is absolutely central to all efforts to advance stability and prosperity, not only in the Middle East and the Gulf, but also globally,” he added. “I want to publicly reiterate the solidarity of the Spanish Government and the Spanish people with Saudi Arabia for the unjustified and indiscriminate attacks it has suffered from Iran, and I want to highlight Saudi Arabia’s consistently prudent and responsible position in this war it did not choose, always advocating for de-escalation and diplomatic solutions,” he declared. For his part, the Saudi minister expressed his gratitude for the signing of the Strategic Partnership Council Agreement, “which is a further step towards consolidating cooperation, especially in economic matters and investment.” He also affirmed that his country has always “emphasized the importance of de-escalation” in Iran and the rest of the Middle East and “the importance of restoring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.” Joint press release At the end of the meeting, the two ministers adopted a joint press release in which, in addition to announcing the signing of an Agreement for the Establishment of the Strategic Partnership Council between Saudi Arabia and Spain, they expressed “their concern about the escalation of tensions in the Middle East region.” They also stressed “the importance of respecting international law and the need to consolidate the ceasefire in Gaza, Iran, and Lebanon, prioritizing dialogue and diplomatic solutions to contribute to regional and international security and stability,” and reiterated “a call for restraint and prudence, and for guarantees of security and freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.” Separately, the Saudi minister, according to the press release, praised “the Kingdom of Spain’s stance in favor of détente in the Middle East,” as well as “its condemnation of the Iranian aggression against the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the Israeli aggression against Lebanon” and Spain’s stance “regarding the Palestinian cause and its efforts to support the two-state solution.”

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