The Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, held a meeting today with ambassadors from European Union countries accredited in Spain to address the biggest challenges facing the rotating Presidency of the Council, which has been held by Poland since 1 January.
Albares called for European unity in the face of a changing world, in which Russia's aggression against Ukraine has posed a huge challenge to European security. He also highlighted other threats, such as disinformation and instability in the Middle East, which also require our attention.
In this regard, the Spanish minister emphasised that these are key issues affecting the European Union's foreign policy, which is a very important part of Spain's foreign affairs. He further stressed the need for the EU to work towards speaking with one voice and acting as a truly global, coherent actor, reacting swiftly to the challenges ahead.
Albares therefore called for an approach that would allow us to focus on all relevant issues on the international agenda. Accordingly, he argued that Foreign Affairs Council agendas should reflect this vision, maintaining a geographical balance that allows us to address crises or strategic debates that also deserve a European response.
Minister Albares also urged the European Union to cultivate its relationship with the Southern Neighbourhood —taking advantage of the creation of the EU Commissioner for the Mediterranean position— and to strengthen its ties with Latin America and the Caribbean in a year when the EU-CELAC Summit will be held.
Albares acknowledged that we are entering a new institutional cycle in the EU, one in which we can push forward important dossiers and can build the budget to be more competitive, make progress in the triple transition, and ensure an EU that is open to the world.
Co-official languages
This meeting comes just a week after Minister Albares met with his Polish counterpart, Radoslaw Sikorski, to discuss Spain's priorities for the Polish presidential term ending on 30 June, before the baton is passed to Denmark. These also include 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.
Minister Albares took the opportunity during the meeting to ask the ambassadors to convey to their capitals the social, political and constitutional reality represented by our co-official languages, and the firm commitment of the Spanish Government to their official status in the European Union.
The meeting also gave Albares the chance to explain to the ambassadors the major events scheduled for Spain in the short term, including the Conference on Financing for Development, which begins at the end of June and will take place in Seville.
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