The Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, met today in Warsaw with his Polish counterpart, Radoslaw Sikorski, to analyse the main challenges of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union and to strengthen collaboration between Spain and Poland, two strategic partners in the European project.
The situation in Ukraine was one of the meeting’s main topics, in the framework of Poland's commitment to continental security as a priority for its Presidency. Albares expressed Spain's full support for the lines set out by Poland, especially regarding strengthening European security in the face of Russian aggression, which represents not only a threat to continental stability, but also to the fundamental principles underpinning the European Union.
A cultural, educational and human relationship
The meeting highlighted the strong cultural and human connection between the two countries. More than 50,000 Polish citizens live in Spain, while around 6,000 Spaniards live in Poland, strengthening the ties between the two nations. Furthermore, around 250,000 people study Spanish in Poland, with the support of 14 bilingual sections with teachers provided by the Spanish Ministry of Education.
The two Cervantes Institutes in the country, in Warsaw and Krakow, bolster this growing interest in the Spanish language, with nearly 2,000 students enrolled in their language and culture courses.
The educational connection is further boosted through the active participation of both countries in the Erasmus programme, which is posting record numbers of Spanish and Polish students who benefit from this cultural and academic exchange initiative.
Official status of the co-official Spanish languages
Another of the issues discussed during the meeting was the promotion of the official status of the co-official Spanish languages - Catalan, Basque and Galician - in the European Union, a priority for the Spanish Government in the EU. Albares told Sikorski of the importance of this step, not only as a recognition of Spain's multilingual national identity, but also as a contribution towards respecting the diversity that characterises the European Union.
Economic relations at historic highs
Bilateral trade between Spain and Poland reached a volume of close to €20 billion in 2023, consolidating Poland as Spain's tenth largest customer and its twelfth largest supplier. This trade flow makes Poland Spain's main economic partner in Central and Eastern Europe.
In the business realm, Spain has a strong presence in key sectors in Poland, such as infrastructure and transport. Albares highlighted the importance of further strengthening this cooperation through strategic projects such as the “Solidarity Communications Hub”, one of the European Union’s most ambitious initiatives, aimed at integrating air, land and high-speed rail connections. Spain expressed its interest in this project by signing a Memorandum of Understanding at the 13th Bilateral Summit in Alcalá de Henares in 2021 and a joint declaration at the 14th Summit in Warsaw in 2022.
Tourism hitting record numbers
Tourism is also a key area for relations. Up to October 2024, more than 2.1 million Polish tourists had visited Spain, an increase of 33% year-over-year. This growth reflects the dynamic exchanges between the two countries and the attraction that Spain continues to exert for Polish visitors.
“Spain and Poland are strong allies and strategic partners in Europe. The strength of our bilateral relationship and our shared commitment to European values drives us to continue working together for a future of greater cooperation and progress,” Albares declared.
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