The Diplomat
The Council of Ministers yesterday approved two agreements between Spain and the United Arab Emirates a few days before the visit of the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, to the Dubai Expo.
On the one hand, the Government referred to the Parliament the bilateral agreement on cooperation in security and the fight against crime, while authorizing the expression of Spain’s consent to be bound by this agreement. This agreement responds to the concern shared by both countries regarding security, human trafficking, terrorism, drug trafficking and new manifestations of transnational organized crime. The text, which was signed on February 7, 2021 in Abu Dhabi, establishes a generic framework for cooperation in this field, in line with the respective national legislations and international commitments.
Likewise, the Council of Ministers also referred yesterday to the Parliament the exchange of notes amending the air transport agreement between Spain and the United Arab Emirates and authorized the expression of Spain’s consent to be bound by the aforementioned agreement. The agreement, signed in Abu-Dhabi on May 25, 2008, entered into force on September 6, 2009.
The two decisions of the Council of Ministers come just a few days before Pedro Sánchez and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, will travel to the United Arab Emirates on February 2 to celebrate Spain Day at the Dubai World Expo. Initially, there had been speculation that King Philip VI would preside over the event, but finally it was decided to choose the head of the Executive, in the midst of the debate on the possible return to Spain of the King Emeritus, who has been living expatriated in that country since August 2020. There are no plans for Pedro Sánchez to meet Don Juan Carlos, who has not seen his son since he left Spain.
