The Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, held a meeting on Tuesday 6 May in Madrid with the European Union Commissioner for International Partnerships, Josef Síkela, with whom he reaffirmed the moral obligation and political responsibility to promote European cooperation in the coming years.
Given the challenges facing the European Union's foreign action in the coming years, Albares emphasised that cooperation for sustainable development must be a priority within the new European Commission's budget. In the same vein, he stated that solidarity must prevail and that we Europeans cannot abandon our partners.
In this regard, they discussed the promotion of the Global Gateway initiative, partnerships with strategic partners and upcoming events of international importance, such as the 3rd EU-African Union ministerial meeting on 21 May.
Albares and Síkela also took the opportunity to review the new Multiannual Financial Framework. The Minister advocated for safeguarding the financing of the European Union's sustainable development cooperation policies, one of the main diplomatic instruments available to the EU club in its relations with several of its partners.
In this sense, the Minister for Foreign Affairs pointed out that the suspension of foreign aid and the real risk of USAID's definitive closure makes the EU a necessary actor, as the world's leading donor in the humanitarian and development field. According to the Spanish Minister, the EU must assume clear leadership in redefining the global development system and in building a more sustainable and efficient multilateral system.
Seville Summit
Albares also issued a reminder that Spain seeks to contribute to the success of development cooperation policies at all levels, including Spain's leadership at the next International Conference on Financing for Development, which will take place from 30 June to 3 July 2025.
This Conference comes at a crucial moment for development and multilateralism, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is promoting an ambitious but also realistic agreement, as well as a follow-up mechanism, that will allow the Sustainable Development Goals to be achieved, with five years left until the 2030 Agenda expires.
Images of the event can be seen here
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