The Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, during his participation in the Slovak Ambassadors' Conference
José Manuel Albares has travelled to Slovakia to take part in the country's Ambassadors' Conference. The minister also held a bilateral meeting with his counterpart, Juraj Blánar, with whom he subsequently made an official statement to the media.
During their meeting, Albares and his counterpart highlighted the good relations between the two countries and reviewed the bilateral and international agenda. At the bilateral level, Albares noted that relations between the two countries are strong and complementary in various areas, such as the defence industry, European affairs and academic and scientific cooperation. Economically speaking, relations are strong, particularly in the railway sector, and tourism from Slovakia to Spain has doubled over the past two years.
Minister Albares also expressed his gratitude to his Slovak counterpart for the invitation to take part in the forthcoming V4+ meeting in Bratislava.
At European level, Albares emphasised the need for the European Union to guarantee its security, highlighting the importance of a strong Europe capable of tackling any threat and safeguarding European values.
The ministers also discussed other issues on the international agenda, such as the war in Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East, emphasising the importance of respecting international law.
Ambassadors' Conference
Albares also took part in the Slovak Ambassadors' Conference as a guest of honour. This year's edition of the Conference was held under the title 'A global and humanistic foreign policy'.
During his address at the Conference, which has established itself as a key strategic forum for Slovak diplomacy, Albares emphasised the importance of Europe choosing democracy, human rights, dialogue and peace in a complex context and an interconnected world.
Visit to the Lest base
Following his participation in the Ambassadors' Conference, Minister Albares travelled to Lest, accompanied by the Slovak Secretary of State, Marek Estok. Lest hosts the largest Spanish contingent deployed abroad: nearly 900 Army personnel form part of the multinational battlegroup of the NATO brigade in Eastern Europe.
Non official translation