Speech by José Manuel Albares at the Executive Council of the African Union

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation announced a new era in relations with the African continent, in which Spain will allocate 70 million euros to cooperation projects.

February 16, 2023

In his speech, José Manuel Albares conveyed our country’s interest in working and joining forces in the multiple interests and values we share with Africa, and reiterated the commitment to cooperation, which translates into financial commitments of 70 million euros for pan-African organisations in the implementation of the African Union’s Agenda 2063. By taking this decision, Spain seeks to contribute to the stability and prosperity of this continent, in the consideration that Africa’s role in resolving global challenges is now a reality that should be acknowledged by the international community.

José Manuel Albares is the second Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs to give a speech to the Executive Council of the African Union since 2008, and the first to do so in Spanish. With more than 2 million Africans studying the Spanish language, the importance of Spanish on the continent and the contributions from Hispanists to our language will be underlined at the International Congress of the Spanish Language to be held in Cadiz from 27 to 30 March.

Spanish Cooperation Office

In addition, Minister Albares inaugurated the first “Spanish Cooperation Office” (name used in the new Law on Cooperation) in Addis Ababa and signed the Country Partnership Framework that updates the work of Spanish Cooperation with Ethiopia until 2027 and which provides for an initial allocation of 44 million euros to such sectors as rural development, health and gender equality.