Madrid, Oct. 21, 2024 (Lusa) - Portugal and Spain on Monday called for a new European Union approach to relations with Africa, at a ministerial meeting in Madrid where the two countries reaffirmed their alignment on foreign policy and defence.
Portugal and Spain "fully share the defence of multilateralism in conflict resolution, within an integrated system of the United Nations and regional international organisations", "work for an international order based on international law" and "reaffirm their support for the secretary-general of the United Nations [António Guterres] and his action in the resolution of all conflicts", reads a joint statement by the two countries.
The statement was released today after a meeting in Madrid of the ministers of foreign affairs and defence of Portugal and Spain, known as ‘2+2’ and which precedes the annual Iberian summit, with this year's scheduled for Wednesday in Faro.
Today's meeting, as the Spanish government had already announced on Friday, served to "deepen coordination in the face of the international situation" in the Middle East, Ukraine and the Sahel, among other regions.
In the joint statement released after the meeting, the two countries confirmed "the excellent bonds of friendship and cooperation" that unite Portugal and Spain and the alignment of positions within the EU, NATO (Defence Cooperation Organisation) and other multilateral organisations and in relation to Ukraine, the Middle East or Europe's so-called "southern neighbourhood".
With regard to Africa, the declaration emphasises that Portugal and Spain are two of the EU countries ‘closest’ to the continent, which they consider to be the one that "presents the greatest opportunities and challenges for the coming decades".
"The two countries desire a renewed and holistic approach by the European Union towards Africa," reads the text, which specifically calls for a deepening of existing cooperation in economic and social development, "but also in security and defence, both bilaterally and multilaterally," adapting it to the needs of African partners, including within the framework of the European Peace Fund.
Portugal and Spain say they have ‘great harmony’ regarding their interests and strategic challenges in security and defence ‘on the African side’ and especially in regions such as the Sahel, the Gulf of Guinea, Cabo Delgado (in north the north of Mozambique) and the Central African Republic.
"The two countries share concern about the recent regional dynamics that have led to multiple crises in the Sahel and the subsequent deterioration of the humanitarian situation," reads the statement released today, in which Portugal and Spain guarantee that they will "strengthen co-operation with African regional integration bodies," in particular the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
Today's joint statement also refers to Mozambique and the "importance of maintaining European support, including within the framework of the European Peace Facility, for the stabilisation process in Cabo Delgado", in response to requests from the Mozambican government itself.
In the specific area of Defence, the joint declaration dedicates a specific point to "cooperation in the field of defence industries", saying that Portugal and Spain "recognise the need to invest in defence as a means of preserving peace" and "undertake to strengthen dialogue and promote initiatives aimed at facilitating the joint work of their respective defence industries within the bilateral framework" and to "deepen forms of cooperation within the European Union and NATO".
Speaking to journalists at the end of the meeting, the Portuguese defence minister, Nuno Melo, said that Portugal wanted to make "a very large investment" in the defence industry and "also open up this area to private investment", namely the "more technological areas", with Spain being "a large market" and a source of potential investors.
The minister argued that the defence industry is fundamental to maintaining and expanding Portuguese military missions in various regions of the world, which are instruments of foreign policy and serve to defend democracy and peace.
According to Nuno Melo, the national defence industry currently has around 30 companies and 30,000 jobs and represents around 2.5% of the nation's exports.
MP/AYLS // AYLS
Lusa
