The Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, took part on Thursday in the OECD ministerial meeting entitled ‘Getting Industrial Policies Right for Open Markets, Growth and Prosperity’, where he reaffirmed Spain’s commitment to Official Development Assistance and the need to consolidate effective instruments to address current challenges.
During his speech at a working lunch focusing on industrial policy, investment and development, Albares reiterated that “Spain reaffirms its commitment to Official Development Assistance, incorporating the 0.7% target into our legislation and increasing our aid, despite the context of global decline”. He also stressed that “international cooperation must not become an instrument of geopolitical competition”.
The meeting coincides with the publication of the organisation’s quarterly Economic Outlook report, in which Spain, against a backdrop of limited disruption and uncertainty, is consolidating solid growth.
Madrid Ministerial Dialogue
During the day, the Minister held a meeting with the Secretary-General of the OECD, Mathias Cormann, to whom he conveyed Spain’s commitment to multilateralism and its support for the OECD’s contributions and leadership. Proof of this is our country’s participation in the Ministerial Council and key meetings, as well as the voluntary contributions, which have tripled over the last two years.
The meeting also addressed the preparatory work for the Ministerial Dialogue of the Regional Programme for Latin America and the Caribbean, which Madrid will host on 1 July and for which Minister Albares held a preparatory meeting on 26 May with the OECD ambassadors and those from the countries of the region.
On the sidelines of today’s ministerial meeting, Albares also held meetings with his counterparts from Brazil, Bulgaria and Costa Rica.
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