Eduardo González
The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, finally held yesterday his first major bilateral meeting with the President of the United States, Joe Biden, which took place on the eve of the NATO Summit in Madrid and which concluded with a Joint Declaration in which both leaders agreed to increase the number of US warships in Rota.
Biden arrived at mid-afternoon at the Torrejón de Ardoz Air Base, where he was received by King Philip VI and by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, and Defense, Margarita Robles. This is the first visit to Spain of the US president since his arrival at the White House in January 2021. The King and Biden met again last night during the gala dinner offered at the Royal Palace to the leaders attending the Summit.
Afterwards, the King and Biden made statements at the Royal Palace in which Philip VI affirmed that the United States is “a great nation” and an “ally and friend” with which Spain maintains a “sincere” friendship and stressed the importance of allies “showing unity and determination to defend our freedom and our democratic values”. For his part, the President of the United States thanked the Spanish people for their support “not only with regard to what is happening in Europe” but also in North Africa and Latin America, and declared that this is a moment of “historical inflection” and that NATO is united and prepared to “face the threats of Russian aggression”.
The U.S. president then moved to the Moncloa Palace, where he was received by Pedro Sánchez, with whom he held his first bilateral meeting of any length since the arrival of Biden to the Presidency. Sánchez had not only failed to hold a meeting of importance with the US President -except for the ephemeral meeting at the previous NATO Summit in June 2021 and another very brief conversation in Rome during the G20 meeting in October 2021-, but he had also failed to visit the White House before the Summit, as the leaders of the host countries of this annual meeting usually do.
Yesterday’s bilateral meeting concluded with a Joint Statement between Spain and the US in which both countries “condemn Russia’s unjustified and unprovoked war of choice against Ukraine” and pledge to “continue to work together, with other partners and allies including the rest of the EU and the G7, to support the Government and people of Ukraine and hold Russia accountable.”
Likewise, Spain and the United States are “committed to upholding the rules-based international order” and encourage “China to fulfill its commitments within the rules-based international order, contribute to international security, and cooperate in the provision of global public goods in areas such as climate change, biodiversity, and gender equality.”
In the Declaration, Spain and the US “recognize the centrality of the NATO Alliance in ensuring transatlantic peace and security” and commit “to provide NATO with enlisted forces and capabilities” and to contribute to “NATO’s military and political activities with resources to address a more dangerous security environment.”
Increase in the Rota base
The two governments also underline their “commitment to the U.S.-Spain Defense Cooperation Agreement signed in 1988, which, together with the shared use of the Spanish bases at Rota and Morón, is a cornerstone of bilateral defense cooperation between the two countries.” In this sense, the Joint Statement continues, “Spain and the United States intend to expand their defense cooperation through the permanent stationing of additional U.S. warships in Rota”.
Regarding this announcement, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivande informed reporters aboard Biden’s presidential plane hours earlier that the U.S. intends to send two additional destroyers to the base at Rota, which will grow “from four to six destroyers.” “This will help increase the U.S. and NATO maritime presence in all relevant maritime domains in the Euro-Atlantic area,” he added.
The US has had four destroyers at Rota since 2014 and 2015 (USS Carney, USS Donald Cook, USS Porter and USS Ross), integrated into NATO’s missile shield. The reinforcement of the anti-missile shield, which had already been raised during the presidency of Donald Trump, will force to increase by 600 the number of US military in Rota and to review the Bilateral Agreement between Spain and the United States. Precisely, the Declaration of Biden and Sanchez indicates that the two countries “intend to hold regular meetings within the framework of the High Level Bilateral Defense Committee with the aim of strengthening bilateral cooperation in the field of defense.”
Climate, energy and political consultations
In the rest of the Joint Declaration, Spain and the US commit to “defend democracy, human rights and gender equality”, to “intensify collaboration in security and justice matters”, including “counter-terrorism cooperation at bilateral and international level”; to “promote safe, orderly and regular migration” and to “combat climate change and to enhance energy security”, with special mention of the need to “improve Europe’s energy security and reduce Russia’s dependence on fossil fuels” through the geographical diversification of energy sources, especially natural gas, and the promotion of renewable energies.
In the text, the two countries also pledge to expand cooperation in the economic and trade fields, boost digital, scientific and technological cooperation, and strengthen political cooperation, including “intention to continue high-level consultations between the two governments.” “The Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation and the U.S. Secretary of State intend to continue their regular political consultations, and the U.S. Secretary of State for Foreign and Global Affairs and the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State intend to continue their regular contact,” the Declaration states. “In addition, regular meetings should be held focusing on regions and issues of mutual interest such as Latin America and the Caribbean, the Maghreb, the Sahel, China and the Indo-Pacific, Russia, multilateral affairs, migration, science and technology, and cybersecurity,” it adds.
