The Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, today presented to the Council of Ministers the new External Action Strategy 2025-2028, which is Spain's foreign policy roadmap for the next four years in a geopolitical context undergoing profound changes.
The Strategy provides the framework for facing current and future challenges. Thus, Albares stressed that it is an ambitious and realistic Strategy that responds to the new international context and is built from a firm defense of our interests and the values that define our society: the defense of democracy, respect for human rights, the defense of multilateralism and sustainable development, and the commitment to social cohesion.
The Strategy reaffirms a foreign policy with its own identity, which is the one that this Government has been carrying out over the last seven years. This policy has three distinctive features: a greater international role that corresponds to the political and economic weight of our country; placing this influence at the service of multilateralism and international cooperation; and a firm commitment to European integration.
These three coordinates must be adapted to a changing international context. In the face of these challenges, Spain's response is articulated in the Strategy around three main pillars: (A) A more autonomous Europe; (B) a committed Spain; and (C) a Spain that builds peace and security.
The Minister remarked that it is a Strategy that looks at Europe, the Mediterranean, Latin America, and Africa, while analyzing how Spain can strengthen its alliances with actors of growing importance in the geopolitical context.
In the words of Minister Albares, this Strategy aims to “defend our values in the world, establish our interests and, all of this, with the objective of guaranteeing and protecting the welfare and life projects of the Spanish people.” And he wanted to frame it “in a moment of unity, a moment to protect the common space of peace, security, and democracy that is Europe.”
In order to meet the objectives of the Strategy, the document presents an adaptation of the instruments of external action through the redeployment of the diplomatic network, consular digitalization, the strengthening of public diplomacy and the scientific, technological, economic and cultural areas.
This Strategy has been prepared in coordination with the other ministries and with a broad participatory process that includes parliamentary groups, the private sector, civil society, and dozens of experts in international relations.
Today, the Council of Ministers initiated the processing of the text and agreed its referral to the Cortes Generales for its knowledge and debate in accordance with the provisions of Article 35 of Law 2/2014. Subsequently, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, will appear before the Foreign Affairs Committees of the Congress and Senate to explain the broad outlines and objectives of this Strategy. After that, the Council of Ministers will approve the document definitively.
You can consult the presentation of the main lines of the document through the
following link.