Robles: "No one can doubt Spain's reliability as a country or the professionalism of its Armed Forces"

The Minister for Defence, Margarita Robles, during her speech at the Conference of Ambassadors

"You, the ambassadors, are, as are our Armed Forces, the best representation of this great country that is Spain": with these words, Minister Robles addressed those present at the Conference of Ambassadors, where she emphasised their diplomatic role in "carrying the name of Spain, its reliability, and its commitment to peace and security to every corner of the world".

The Minister for Defence highlighted the historic and unwavering commitment to peacekeeping and security missions during this challenging time, citing deployments in Lebanon, Operation Atalanta, and the Baltic Air Policing mission as examples, while also mentioning conflicts such as those in Gaza and Ukraine. She stated, "We will stand by them until the end because we are a country of solidarity", adding that "in addition to professional Armed Forces, we also have intelligence services present in places like the Sahel, which we cannot forget".

Margarita Robles also referred to the investment in Defence and Security, which "is here to stay," she said, given that the international situation demonstrates the need for modern and capable Armed Forces. She also alluded to their importance as a "sector that generates thousands of highly skilled jobs, boosting the economy and strengthening territorial cohesion".

An example of this is the Industrial and Technological Plan for Security and Defence, approved last year, which entails investments in all the autonomous communities, in addition to demonstrating a clear commitment to strategic autonomy.

Once again, the Minister for Defence emphasised the commitment to multilateralism and to all missions in which Spain has a troop presence, and expressed her confidence in the potential of the national defence industry.

Non official translation