The Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, met today with the Danish Minister for European Affairs, Marie Bjerre, to express Spain's support for the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, which Denmark will assume on 1 July.
Albares acknowledged that the European Presidency that Denmark will hold during the second half of the year will be crucial for making progress on issues such as the Multiannual Financial Framework, enlargement, competitiveness or EU-CELAC relations. In this regard, he stressed that we must improve European competitiveness based on the triple transition: green, digital and social, while preserving fundamental freedoms and a level playing field.
Bilateral relationship
During the meeting, the Spanish minister emphasised that bilateral relations between the two countries are excellent, with unquestionable complementarity on a wide range of issues: climate change and energy transition, social issues, gender equality, the rule of law, industrial policy, European competitiveness, and the defence of multilateralism.
Albares, after recalling that the Declaration on Green Energy signed by the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, and Prime Minister Frederiksen in 2023, was an important signal, advocated a common approach to the green agenda that would allow synergies to be explored in renewable hydrogen or wind farms, including cooperation in research and development to promote new technologies.
Both sides also emphasised their commitment to the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Co-official languages
The Spanish minister, who acknowledged that he is counting on the current Polish Presidency to make progress on European linguistic diversity, also took the opportunity to request a constructive approach from Denmark, as well as support during the Danish Presidency to consolidate Catalan, Basque and Galician as official languages of the European Union.
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