“Spain is an important partner within European Union”: MEA

India on Monday highlighted the growing partnership with Spain, particularly in trade and investment and said that the country is an important partner within the European Union.

Tanmaya Lal, Secretary (West) of the Ministry of External Affairs, while addressing a special briefing on an official visit of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to India, said, “Spain is an important partner within the European Union. It held the presidency of the EU last year. Spain is a member of the NATO. It is the 15th largest economy in the world. Spain is also the fifth largest economy within the EU. And Spain is also the top 10 defence exporters in the world. This visit contributes to the growing India-Spain partnership, which has various aspects, especially trade investment.”

He added, “The areas of collaboration are very wide, ranging from energy to logistics, transportation, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and IT, among others. The ongoing visit builds upon several continuing high-level exchanges.”

Lal also spoke about the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and investment agreement between India and the EU and asserted that the issue is of interest for both nations.

“The negotiations on an FTA and investment agreement between India and the European Union are ongoing. This is an issue that is of interest to both sides, including India and Spain. Both want an early and ambitious agreement to be finalised, which will be in the interest of both sides,” Lal said.

Lal also said that the visit by the Spanish President is a landmark visit. He said, “This has been a landmark visit. This is the first by the President of Spain in nearly two decades. He is accompanied by his wife, Begona Gomez, and also two ministers, the Minister of Industry and Tourism and the Minister for Transportation and Sustainable Mobility. He is also accompanied by a group of 15 CEOs of leading Spanish companies.”

He added, “The delegation was in Vadodara, and now they have left for Mumbai, where they have a busy day tomorrow. Their day began with a Shobha yatra, where both leaders, Prime Minister Modi and the President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sanchez, were there together. This was followed by the joint inauguration by the two leaders of the Tata aircraft complex, which will be producing the C-295 military transport aircraft. This has been an example of industrial and manufacturing collaboration between India and Spain.”

Earlier in the day, PM Modi and Spanish PM Sanchez inaugurated the TATA-Airbus aircraft assembly facility complex in Vadodara. The facility will manufacture C-295 aircraft at the TATA Advanced Systems Limited campus.

PM Modi said that the C-295 facility represents the work culture of a new India.

Earlier in the day, PM Modi and Sanchez participated in a roadshow in Vadodara as they headed to inaugurate Tata Advanced Systems Ltd’s facility.