Jaishankar, Spanish counterpart discuss growing defence, economic ties

External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar held talks with his Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares here on Wednesday and discussed growing engagements in political and defence domains.

External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar held talks with his Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares here on Wednesday and discussed growing engagements in political and defence domains. The two leaders also exchanged views on the Indo-Pacific and the Ukraine conflict.

"Warm and productive discussions with Foreign Minister @jmalbares of Spain. Discussed our growing engagements in political, defense, economic and cultural domains. Envisage enhanced collaboration to support self-reliance and resilient supply chains," Jaishankar said in a tweet. "Exchanged views on the Indo-Pacific, the Ukraine conflict, Afghanistan, North Africa and South Asia. Agreed to work closely in multilateral forums," he added.

This is the first official visit of the Spanish Foreign Minister to India. A statement issued by the External Affairs Ministry on Tuesday said that Albares will hold talks with his Indian counterpart on bilateral, regional, and international issues of mutual interest.

The bilateral ties got a fresh impetus after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Spain in 2017. "Albares's visit will be an opportunity to review the entire gamut of our bilateral relations and further deepen the partnership across various areas including trade, defence, science and technology, innovation, climate, and culture sectors," the MEA statement said.

The Union Cabinet has last year approved the signing of an agreement between India and Spain on Cooperation and Mutual Assistance in Customs Matters. (ANI)

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