The Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, attended the inauguration of the new President of the Republic of Colombia, Abelardo de la Espriella, on Friday, 7 August, accompanying H.M. King Felipe VI.
While there, the Minister met with Colombia’s new Minister of Foreign Affairs, Omar Bula Escobar, and congratulated him on his appointment. He also held meetings with his counterparts from Bolivia, Chile and Peru, with whom he discussed bilateral relations and made progress in preparations for the forthcoming Ibero-American Summit, to be held in Madrid on 4 and 5 November.
Albares also spoke by telephone with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Félix Plasencia, to congratulate him on his appointment and convey Spain’s willingness to support the Venezuelan people in the humanitarian response following the earthquakes.
Albares recalled Spain’s intention for the Madrid Summit to deliver concrete results based on broad consensus and to address the shared priorities of the 22 countries of the Ibero-American Community. “This meeting represents an opportunity to reaffirm the value of a forum for political dialogue that brings together 680 million people on both sides of the Atlantic, as well as Spain’s commitment to an increasingly close relationship between Europe and Ibero-America,” the Foreign Minister stressed.
The Minister also stated that the Summit would be structured around three thematic milestones: sustainability and the environment; innovation and social inclusion; and children and young people. Albares took the opportunity to encourage his counterparts to play an active role in the final phase of the preparatory work, which includes ministerial meetings, sectoral forums and meetings of National Coordinators and Heads of Cooperation in the run-up to November.
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