Foreign Minister's agenda to focus on Ukraine, the United States and Latin America at the Ministerial Week of the United Nations General Assembly

​The Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation José Manuel Albares, will take part this week, starting on Tuesday, in some 20 events scheduled during the Ministerial Week of the 77th period of sessions of the United National General Assembly in New York. The week will be marked by the war in Ukraine and the economic, food and humanitarian crisis stemming from the war.

 

This will be the first year that meetings are held in person following two years of hybrid meetings caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic. The minister will hold more than a dozen bilateral meetings with counterparts from all around the world, including a meeting with the Secretary of State of the United States, Antony Blinken. 

 

During the Ministerial Week, the minister will take part, alongside the President of the Government, in the meeting of the Leaders Network Reinforcing Multilateralism, promoted by Spain together with the European Union, the United States and the African Union, which will address the problems associated with food security.

 

José Manuel Albares will take part in the meeting of the COVID GAP platform, which will also be attended by the Secretary of State of the United States, Antony Blinken. 

 

Furthermore, he will attend the plenary meeting of the 12th Global Counter-Terrorism Forum, together with the Under-Secretary-General for the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Office, Vladimir Voronkov, with whom he will also hold a bilateral meeting.

 

This year’s United Nations General Assembly coincides with the 50th anniversary of the speech given to the UN by the murdered President of Chile, Salvador Allende, denouncing interference by large multinational corporations in the politics and economy of his country. On this occasion, a tribute will be paid at the Cervantes Institute, which will include speeches by the current President of Chile, Gabriel Boric, and the President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, which the Minister for Foreign Affairs will also attend. 

 

The Minister for Foreign Affairs will hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Argentina, Venezuela, Mexico and El Salvador, among others, with whom he will have the chance to explain the aims of the Spanish Rotating Presidency of the European Council in the second half of 2023, which include strengthening ties between the European Union and Latin America and addressing bilateral issues.

 

The EU Foreign Affairs Council will hold an informal meeting in New York, involving Spain’s presence, to analyze the economic situation and global security stemming from Russia’s unjustified aggression against Ukraine.