'Will continue working bilaterally': Spanish President Sánchez to visit India; strategic partnership, EU trade talks on agenda

NEW DELHI: Spanish President Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón is expected to visit India soon, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said on Wednesday. He also expressed hope that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be able to visit Spain.Albares, who met external affairs minister S Jaishankar in New Delhi, said the two countries aim to elevate their relationship to a strategic partnership, the highest level of diplomatic engagement. “President Sánchez will visit India very soon, and I hope Prime Minister Modi will be able to visit Spain as well. We will continue working bilaterally, through the European Union, and in the multilateral sphere. We are also happy to join the Indo-Pacific Ocean Initiative and have brought the letter to mark this moment,” he said.He added, “We also wish to upgrade our relationship to a strategic association, the highest level we have with friends like India. In these complicated times globally, it is very important for Spain to strengthen ties with a reliable country like India, which believes in international law, upholds the principles of the UN Charter, and supports multilateralism," as quoted by news agency ANI.Albares thanked India for its message of solidarity following a recent train accident in Barcelona that killed over 40 people: “Thank you for your message of solidarity to the Spanish people in this very painful moment.”He highlighted ongoing cooperation in culture, tourism, and technology, unveiling the joint logo for the dual year of culture, tourism, and artificial intelligence. “It has been a pleasure to present our common logo, which fully represents our shared vision for this year and the future of our relationship, which has grown significantly in recent years. Both countries are working on a packed program of events for this year, and I look forward to its presentation in Spain. I am also glad that public participation was encouraged through crowdsourcing,” he said.Trade and industrial collaboration were also emphasised, with Albares pointing to the EU-India Free Trade Agreement and partnerships like Airbus and Tata as examples of successful cooperation.“A very positive development would be the finalisation of the FTA with the EU, which we hope will happen soon. Spain and India are among the fastest-growing economies in the world, and our businesses are benefiting from this. We will discuss ways to further increase trade relations and strengthen the presence of Spanish companies in India and Indian companies in Spain. The Airbus-Tata partnership is a prime example of what we can achieve,” he said.Albares arrived in India on Wednesday to hold talks with Jaishankar on bilateral, regional, and international issues of mutual interest.