Dr. S. Jaishankar, India’s External Affairs Minister (EAM), concluded a successful official visit to Spain on January 13-14, 2025, marking his first visit to Madrid as Minister.
During the two-day visit, Dr. Jaishankar met with His Majesty King Felipe VI and Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. The discussions highlighted the positive trajectory of bilateral relations, following Prime Minister Sánchez’s October 2024 visit to India. Both leaders emphasized the importance of sustaining high-level engagements to further enhance the partnership.
In a meeting with Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares, the two Ministers reviewed a comprehensive range of bilateral cooperation areas, including trade, defense, tourism, culture, and people-to-people exchanges. Emerging sectors such as digital technology, artificial intelligence, renewable energy, and space exploration were also identified as key areas for collaboration. Dr. Jaishankar delivered the keynote address at the 9th Annual Conference of Spanish Ambassadors, focusing on the theme, “A Foreign Policy with Our Own Identity.”
The visit also included a significant defense milestone. Dr. Jaishankar met with Defense Minister Margarita Robles and acknowledged the C-295 aircraft assembly plant in Vadodara as a transformative project that has elevated Indo-Spanish defense cooperation. Both sides pledged to deepen their partnership in defense and security.
At a conference hosted by the Spain India Council Foundation, Dr. Jaishankar and Foreign Minister Albares addressed Spanish business leaders, think tanks, and academics on the topic, “Strategic Alliances for a Changing World: Spain and India in the 21st Century.”
Paying tribute to shared values and cultural ties, Dr. Jaishankar laid a floral tribute at the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Madrid and engaged with the Indian diaspora in Spain.
The visit also witnessed the signing of two Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs)—one on sports cooperation and another on sustainable urban development. These agreements underscore the commitment to expanding ties in diverse and forward-looking domains.
Dr. Jaishankar’s visit, occurring just three months after Prime Minister Sánchez’s trip to India, reaffirmed the mutual dedication to regular and sustained dialogue. It has further strengthened the foundation for collaboration between India and Spain across traditional and emerging sectors.