Radio Cadena Agramonte emisiora de Camagüey
Madrid, Feb 17. - Relations between Spain and Brazil went up a notch today, by granting the status of presidential summits to future meetings for the increase of agreements and initiatives.
During a joint press conference in this capital, Foreign Ministers Mauro Vieira and host José Manuel Albares, highlighted the agreement reached this Monday on the constitution of the first bilateral permanent commission and elevating meetings between leaders to the top level.
Vieira and Albares were pleased to establish a priority link between two countries that enjoy long and beneficial ties, with Spain as the second investor in the South American giant and very fluid economic and commercial exchanges.
The envoy of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, recalled the visit of his head of state in 2023 and that of the Spanish ruler, Pedro Sánchez in 2024 in reciprocity.
He referred to the coincidence of both parties in the defense of values, human rights, democracy, scientific and technological advances, and the fight against global warming of the atmosphere.
Albares, for his part, agreed with his counterpart's comments and stressed that raising the level of dialogue responds to the wishes of top-level strategic partners.
It is the first time that Spain has promoted this format with a Latin American country, "proof of the privileged relationship we maintain," said the Spanish diplomat.
'As a regional partner of Latin America and the world', as a member of the G20 and the BRICS that it is, Brazil and its people are in good harmony with Spain," he noted.
Albares and Vieira addressed the need to consolidate initiatives and proposals towards the European Union-Community of Latin American and Caribbean States Summit this year in Colombia, and towards the top Ibero-American event in Madrid in 2026.
Likewise, they expressed satisfaction and hope for the agreement between the EU and Mercosur, signed last December.
We believe in free trade, in the mutual benefit due to the lowering of tariffs that it entails, which is also a sign of political commitment, Albares pointed out, while Vieira valued it as a great victory for both regions (...) with the potential to boost integration between the two blocks in multiple dimensions.
Likewise, they praised it as a step of geopolitical relevance, 'in an international context of growing protectionism and commercial unilateralism'.
The Spanish foreign minister also referred to the scientific and cultural domain, with the importance of language, with eight Cervantes institutes in Brazil and the two languages ??on the rise in both territories.
In the face of possible pressure from the United States, Albares assured that Spain is working to increase the defense budget to two percent of GDP by 2029 and that it is unthinkable to accelerate this process. (Text and Photos: PL)
