The Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, begins his first official trip to Washington today, where he will hold several meetings with leading officials in the Biden Administration. The visit includes a meeting with his US counterpart –Secretary of State Antony Blinken – at which they will address various issues on the bilateral and international agenda, such as the upcoming NATO Summit, which will be held in Madrid on 29 and 30 June, Ibero-America, the situation in Ukraine, collaboration at a multilateral level and the state of trans-Atlantic relations.
Following his meeting with Antony Blinken – the start of his agenda in Washington – Minister Albares plans to hold a meeting with the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, and with the President of the US-Spain Council, Joaquín Castro. His first day will end with a meeting with the Secretary-General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Luis Almagro, and with the President of the Inter-American Development Bank, Mauricio Claver-Carone. His trip will also include a meeting with representatives of Spanish companies operating in the United States.
On the second day of his visit, the minister will talk with Hispanic leaders, give a speech at an event organised by the think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), followed by a meeting with the Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Congressman Gregory Meeks.
The two-day visit by Minister Albares to Washington will serve to underline that Spain and the United States are two close allies whose relations are founded on shared principles and values, that have been stepped up and strengthened over the years, and are particularly intense on both economic and trade matters and on security and defence.
Cooperation at a multilateral level to tackle such challenges as climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic and the promotion of democracy and human rights is particularly noteworthy, along with collaboration within the framework of trans-Atlantic relations and in certain regions like Ibero-America.
The Minister is accompanied on this trip by the State Secretary for Foreign and Global Affairs, Ángeles Moreno Bau, and the State Secretary for Ibero-America and the Caribbean, and Spanish in the World, Juan Fernández Trigo, who, in turn, will hold meetings with their respective US counterparts.
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