The Diplomat
The Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles, was received yesterday in Rome by her Italian counterpart, Guido Crosetto, with whom she discussed, among other issues, the coordination of support to Ukraine and the priorities of the upcoming Spanish Presidency of the Council of the Union, as well as the importance of the attention to the Mediterranean or the missions in Africa within the framework of the Common Security and Defense Policy.
The two ministers also discussed NATO issues, such as the 360-degree approach promoted by the Madrid Strategic Concept, the reinforcement of investment in defense capabilities in compliance with the Alliance’s objectives and the mission in Iraq.
Subsequently, Robles participated in the 19th Italy-Spain Dialogue Forum, where, together with Guido Crosetto, she gave the opening speech at the round table A common agenda for a new European Security and Defense Policy. The Minister was accompanied by the Secretary General for Defense Policy, Admiral Juan Francisco Martínez Núñez, and by the Spanish Ambassador to Rome, Miguel Fernández-Palacios.
Since 1999, the Spanish-Italian Dialogue Forum has been bringing together, on an annual basis, important personalities from politics, business and civil society from both countries to discuss current political and economic issues and to strengthen collaboration between the two countries. This year’s Forum will be attended by four Italian government ministers: Ministers of Defense, Foreign Affairs, European Affairs and the Environment. On the Spanish side, in addition to Robles, the Vice President and Minister of Ecological Transition, Teresa Ribera, is participating.
In her speech, Robles stressed the importance of strengthening the European Union’s Common Security and Defense Policy, affirmed that the forthcoming Spanish presidency of the Council of the Union is an opportunity to advance in the development of key aspects of the Strategic Compass and warned of the need to strengthen coordination between the European Union and NATO, in accordance with the path set by the Union’s Strategic Compass and NATO’s Strategic Concept approved at the Madrid Summit.
