González Laya advocates "a more united, more ambitious, greener and more supportive Europe"

At this working lunch with representatives of Spain's European partners, the Minister had the chance to firstly list the government's goals in terms of foreign policy. As she announced in her appearance in Parliament last week Arancha González Laya recalled the cornerstones of Spain's foreign policy - the defence of democracy and human rights, support for regional integration and multilateralism, boosting a fairer and more equal global economy, the fight against climate change and solidarity beyond our borders.

At an EU level, she highlighted Spain's interest in contributing to unblock negotiations on the Multiannual Financial Framework of the European Union to the ambassadors. After the lack of progress made at the latest extraordinary European Council in February, Spain still aspires to an ambitious Budget that reflects the importance of policies that have proven to be successful, such as the Common Agricultural Policy and the cohesion policy. The minister pointed out that the CAP and the cohesion policy are two pillars that have contributed to a fairer, more supportive and more united Europe, and added that "the Budget is not merely a list of figures; it is the expression of our priorities and our values for Europe"..

The minister also recalled the importance of this time of full-on negotiations on future relations between the European Union and the United Kingdom. Minister González Laya underlined Spain's wish to build up an ambitious and close relationship that reflects the proximity, importance and intensity of our ties with the British people, while maintaining a balanced and fair position between the two sides.

The head of Spanish diplomacy also referred to the need to get past Brexit to address the future of Europe, particularly the concerns of European citizens. To that end, she actively urged the Conference on the Future of Europe to be developed, which will begin on 9 Mayo.

"This is a necessary channel to give a voice to citizens and involve them in building our common project", remarked the Minister at the lunch held at Viana Palace - the official headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Madrid. "We must listen to them because questions such as social Europe, sustainability, the digital transformation, the role of the EU as a global player, the demographic and migratory challenges and interconnections are urgent matters that require proposals from governments", stated the minister to the European ambassadors.

Lastly, González Laya reiterated Spain's pro-European commitment as a country that aspires to be decisive in creating consensuses. The minister brought her speech to a close by stating that "Spain seeks to be at the very heart of EU decision-making, together with key drivers of the European project like France and Germany, alongside our neighbour Portugal, our Mediterranean allies and all those countries which, like us, share the commitment to build Europe".

Non official translation