José Manuel Albares and Hakan Fidan reiterated their call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and to establish a “real and viable” Palestinian State as a solution to end the conflict once and for all. The two ministers also discussed bilateral relations, Russia's aggression against Ukraine and the defence and collaboration between Spain and Türkiye within the Atlantic Alliance. Furthermore, the head of Spanish diplomacy emphasised Spain's support for Türkiye's candidacy to join the European Union.
On the economic front, José Manuel Albares met with the Turkish Minister for Treasury and Finance, Mehmet Şimşek, highlighting the strong economic ties between the two countries. Minister Albares pointed out that “there are close to 700 Spanish companies present in the banking sector, the infrastructure sector, as well as in tourism and agriculture. We are talking about bilateral trade of almost 19 billion euros and trade growing year-on-year”.
José Manuel Albares also reiterated “the validity of the Alliance of Civilisations”, a joint initiative launched 20 years ago under the Government of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero and the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. “It represents a meeting point for dialogue and reflection on the major challenges facing our societies”, he said.
Photos: Pepe Méndez (NOLSOM)