Spain and France confirm their wonderful relations on security and defence policies

2019.9.11

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In their appearance before the media at the end of the meeting, the two ministers highlighted the high degree of cooperation between the two countries. Margarita Robles stressed "that Spain and France are firm allies in their commitment to the European Union, which we wish to make strong and robust".

The ministers took the opportunity to discuss the common actions of their two departments and to firm up new proposals to address the many shared strategic challenges. The participation of both countries, together with Germany, in the Future Combat Air System (FCAS), held a leading role in their talks due to the projection that this project will have on the European defence industry and also in boosting and developing the Spanish defence industry.

During the meeting, the two Ministers for Defence addressed current affairs, spanning a wide-ranging agenda from boosting European defence, including strengthening the European defence industry (the most recent example of which is the project for the future European fighter plane), progress on initiatives on Women, Peace and Security, and the development of strategic dialogue on the main security and defence organisations.

They also exchanged impressions on different strategic scenarios, starting with the situation in the Mediterranean. As regards the Middle East, both ministers agreed on the importance of monitoring the situation on the ground, fostering de-escalation and dialogue as the only solution to conflicts.

The two ministers highlighted Operation Atalanta, to fight piracy, support for the United Nations, and the World Food Programme.

As regards Africa, they mainly discussed the situation in the Sahel, where they undertook to maintain the current efforts and responsibilities to achieve a solution that includes the collaboration and involvement of the nations in the region.

Non official translation