The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Alfonso Dastis, signed, together with his counterparts from Mexico, Colombia, Peru and Chile, the Joint Declaration between Spain and the Member States of the Pacific Alliance in New York.
The Pacific Alliance, set up in 2011 by Mexico, Colombia, Peru and Chile, is one of the most successful regional integration processes of recent years. Spain was the first European country to become an Observer State of the Pacific Alliance shortly after it was set up and, since then, collaboration and cooperation have gradually been stepped up. The Joint Declaration signed in New York between Spain and the Pacific Alliance is the second of this nature to be concluded, following the Declaration of Association between the Pacific Alliance and Canada.
During his speech, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Alfonso Dastis, expressed his satisfaction at this declaration, through which we have reaffirmed the priority interest assigned by Spain to the Pacific Alliance and our firm interest in extending our ties of collaboration.
The minister alluded to those areas in which Spain and the Pacific Alliance are already cooperating at present, such as trade, education, small- and medium-sized enterprises and science, technology and innovation. Alfonso Dastis underscored the Excellence Grants Programme of the Pacific Alliance, which allows highly qualified researchers of the Member States to carry out their doctorate studies at the Severo Ochoa Excellence Centres and the María de Maeztu Excellence Units.
To end, the minister highlighted the common values between the European Union and the Pacific Alliance and offered Spain’s collaboration in fostering a greater rapprochement between the two blocs in terms of trade and investment.
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