Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares, and the United States Secretary of State, have maintained his first contact since Donald Trump returned to the White House, on January 20. The chiefs of diplomacy of both countries have discussed telephone this Wednesday for 30 minutes, according to sources from the Spanish Foreign Ministry. In the conversation, which was developed in a “cordial” tone, according to the same sources, both reviewed the importance of the transatlantic bond and the dialogue and cooperation in security and trade, “Albares said in his account in the social network X.” Also our ties with Latin America, “he added.
Excellent conversation with the US Secretary of State.
We have addressed Spain – United States relations, the importance of the transatlantic link and dialogue and cooperation in security and commerce. Also our ties with Latin America.
– José Manuel Albares (@jMalbares)
The conversation has occurred a few hours before those who have been threatening since he came to power and that they can unleash a commercial war with serious consequences for the European and world economy. In addition, the US administration has announced whose interests has committed to defend the government.
Marcos Rubio and Albares will see the faces for the first time at the NATO Foreign Ministers Meeting held this Thursday and Friday in Brussels, in which the American will raise the European allies to increase their expenditure in defense, a demand aimed especially at the countries that are below 2% of the gross internal product (GDP), such as Spain. At the Brussels meeting, the Ukraine War and “China’s shared threat” will also be addressed, which will be the object of a meeting with NATO members in the Indo-Pacific region.
This Wednesday’s telephone conversation between the two ministers is the highest level between the two countries since the new administration began to walk. On November 12, President Pedro Sánchez called Trump to congratulate him for his electoral victory, but at that time he had not yet assumed power.
The Undersecretary of State Christopher Landau spoke on March 29 with the Spanish Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Diego Martínez Belío, to prepare the conversation on Wednesday. “Undersecretary Landau reaffirmed the strength of the association between the United States and Spain and called on Spain to increase its defense spending according to their commitments to NATO. The Undersecretary and the Secretary of State spoke about the deepening of our ties in a wide range of mutual interests, including the strengthening of cooperation in matters of migration,” said the US State note.
