The Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, will begin a two-day visit to Africa tomorrow, Wednesday 11 January, with stops in Niger, Nigeria and Guinea Bissau. By visiting these three countries, the Minister for Foreign Affairs wishes to reassert Spain’s commitment to the continent and strengthen ties with Africa before the upcoming Spanish Presidency of the European Union in the second half of the year.
By visiting the African continent, José Manuel Albares seeks to stress the importance Spain assigns to a region that is facing multiple challenges, such as terrorism, poverty, climate change, food insecurity, the fight against human trafficking, the energy crisis and organised crime.
The minister’s visit begins in Niger, where the historical commitment of Spanish Cooperation, which José Manuel Albares plans to strengthen during his trip, is particularly important at a time of food crisis unleashed by the war in Ukraine. His visit will continue to Nigeria – one of the major regional players – which has the largest economy in Africa. The last stop will be to Guinea Bissau, which the minister will visit to support the progress that the government is making on economic and social matters.
The trip by José Manuel Albares takes place in the third year of the Spanish Presidency of the General Assembly of the Sahel Alliance, which makes him highly qualified to address the challenges that Spain shares with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), with whose leaders he will address the situation in the region.
With less than six months to go for Spain to take over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the minister wishes to announce that Africa will be one of the priorities of this Spanish Presidency, with concrete initiatives that cover political, economic and humanitarian affairs.
His trip will also serve to step up bilateral relations with each of the countries, a task that José Manuel Albares will be assisted in during his visits by leading members of the Spanish Development Cooperation.
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