Spain's President Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón will soon undertake an official visit to India, according to the nation's Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares. Speaking in New Delhi on Wednesday, Albares conveyed optimism that Prime Minister Narendra Modi might reciprocate with a trip to Spain.

During opening remarks ahead of his bilateral meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Albares underscored Spain's eagerness to join India's Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative. He presented a formal letter to mark this intent and highlighted collaborative prospects through the European Union.

"We are going to continue working bilaterally through the European Union and as well in the multilateral sphere," Albares stated. He advocated elevating India-Spain ties to a strategic partnership, describing it as the highest level reserved for close allies.

Albares expressed gratitude to Jaishankar for India's solidarity following the recent tragic train accident in Barcelona, which claimed over 40 lives. "Thank you very much for your message of solidarity to the Spanish people in this very painful moment," he remarked.

The ministers jointly unveiled the logo for the Dual Year of Culture, Tourism, and Artificial Intelligence between India and Spain. Albares noted it symbolises their shared vision, with both nations preparing an extensive programme of events sourced through public crowdsourcing.

In an era of global upheaval, Albares emphasised Spain's need to strengthen bonds with reliable partners like India. He praised India's adherence to international law, the UN Charter, and multilateralism as foundational to this partnership.

A key milestone, Albares suggested, would be concluding the EU-India Free Trade Agreement—hailed by some as "the mother of all deals." European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen echoed this at Davos, affirming the EU's proximity to finalisation.

Spain and India, as two of the world's fastest-growing economies, stand to gain immensely, Albares observed. He called for enhanced trade, greater presence of Spanish firms in India, and Indian companies in Spain.

The Airbus-TATA partnership exemplifies the industrial collaboration both seek to expand. Albares hopes high-level exchanges, including Jaishankar's attendance at Spain's Ambassador's Conference last year, will persist.

Albares arrived in New Delhi earlier on Wednesday for talks on bilateral, regional, and global issues. The visit aligns with accelerating momentum in India-Spain relations across defence, technology, trade, and cultural domains.

This engagement reflects broader EU-India strategic realignment amid geopolitical shifts. As Spain eyes deeper Indo-Pacific involvement, the presidential visit could catalyse defence collaborations, given India's aerospace interests and shared priorities in counter-terrorism.

Based On ANI Report