Press release

Foreign Secretary boosts ties with Spain

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss demonstrates the importance of the UK-Spain relationship in a visit to Madrid and meeting with Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss with the Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares.

  • UK and Spanish Foreign Ministers expected to discuss shared priorities, such as combatting malign actors and getting more girls into education
  • Foreign Secretary to boost economic ties as she hosts an event with leading Spanish investors and British businesses
  • Closer collaboration to benefit both Spain and every region and nation of the UK

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss is today (Wednesday 15 December) visiting Spain to meet her Spanish counterpart José Manuel Albares, as well as business and tech leaders in Madrid.

The foreign ministers will discuss how the UK and Spain can work together more closely on the world’s greatest challenges – from combatting malign actors to getting more girls across the world into education. The ministers will also discuss their collaboration through NATO, ahead of Spain hosting the NATO Leaders’ Summit in 2022.

This meeting comes just two weeks after their meeting in Riga, during the NATO Foreign Ministers Summit at which both Ministers underlined their commitment to a Political Framework for a UK-EU Gibraltar Treaty and to swiftly concluding negotiations.

During the visit, which comes within her first 100 days in office, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss will also seek to boost the UK’s economic ties with Spain as she hosts an event with leading Spanish investors and British businesses in Spain.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said:

I want to work with allies like Spain to create a network of liberty based around closer economic, tech and security ties.

We’re significant trading partners, with the UK as Spain’s biggest European investor, and the UK as the top destination for Spanish investment. By boosting our trading ties even further, both Spain and every region and nation of the UK will benefit.

As part of her visit over 2 days, the Foreign Secretary will also launch a new report on scientific collaboration between the UK and Spain.

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Published 15 December 2021