We are beginning to intertwine our economies for the first time in our history. Spain has always had a weak presence in Central Europe for historical reasons and, more recently, for political reasons. But now we face a great opportunity.
– What have these two business meetings of Spanish entrepreneurs in Bratislava and Ljubljana meant?
The overall assessment must necessarily be positive. We are beginning to intertwine our economies for the first time in our history. Spain has always had a limited presence in Central Europe, for historical reasons and, more recently, for political ones. But now we face a great opportunity. These countries will very soon be EU partners and will likely also be allies in the Atlantic Alliance. Therefore, they have extraordinary prospects for stability, and it is therefore very beneficial for Spanish businesspeople to explore the possibilities of doing business in both Slovakia and Slovenia. These are also countries that are adapting very quickly to EU law, they have a growing business class, and what needs to be done now is to give continuity to these initiatives. Return meetings are already planned in Spain for the coming months.
– What is the assessment of the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the Spanish presidency of the EU Commission?
Our assessment is positive. We have reasonably met all our objectives in a truly complex context, with enormous difficulties and significant obstacles, both from the international environment, which is clearly changing strategically after 9/11, and from the perspective of certain electoral processes in key EU countries. This isn't just our opinion within the government, which might seem natural, but rather the unanimous view of the European Commission, the General Secretariat of the Council, the other member states, and the candidate countries: they all agree in their very positive assessment of the Spanish presidency and are very grateful for the work we have done. This is far more objective than any other metric.
– What can you tell us about the incursions of certain Autonomous Communities into the foreign political arena?
The Basque Country frequently demonstrates its lack of commitment to Spain's overall project in these and many other matters, but the coordination of foreign policy, which the Constitution mandates be carried out by the central government, with the external promotion activities of the Autonomous Communities functions reasonably well. Furthermore, some communities always approach these matters with full cooperation and coordination, with mutual support from our diplomatic and consular missions, and with full and fluid communication with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In this sense, anything that involves combining efforts is positive. We must seek synergies. It is not about having a reductionist view of what the international projection of our country should be, which depends on all the actors present, including businesspeople, other levels of administration, but also our artists, our athletes; therefore, we have to have a very global and very broad vision of what the external projection of our country is, but at the same time we must denounce when certain actions abroad are done to distance themselves from or even to contradict the global foreign policy of the Government, which is what the Basque Government has just done, we have communicated this to them and we will continue to say so.
– How would you rate the work done by the Cervantes Institute?
Spain has changed in recent years, transforming from a country of emigration into one of immigration. From a net importer of capital, it has become an exporter. From one of the most closed economies in Europe, it now has one of the most open economies in the world, and so on. This means that our presence abroad has changed radically. In addition to the many emigrants who remain and deserve our attention, we must now also pay attention to the migratory flows coming from abroad. We have thousands of Spanish aid workers, millions of Spanish tourists visit different countries every year, and countless Spanish businesspeople and executives working in numerous countries who also deserve our full attention. In this context, Spain's cultural projection is not merely a complement to, but absolutely essential to, this new role of our country on the international stage.
The Spanish language is a major asset, both economically and otherwise. It is spoken by four hundred million people, its sphere of influence is clearly expanding, and it is growing in countries like the United States, where in just a few years there will be more Spanish speakers than in Spain itself. All of this makes cultural and linguistic projection—Spanish culture and culture in Spanish—a fundamental element of our foreign policy, and in this context, the role of the Cervantes Institute is absolutely crucial. There is enormous demand from many countries for us to establish classrooms and centers. Faced with this demand to learn the Spanish language and to discover our culture, we must provide a serious and positive response.
– Where do the country's relations with North Africa stand?
Relations with North Africa are by definition complex, sometimes fluctuating, and require distinguishing between countries. Our relationship, for example, with Tunisia and Algeria is exceptionally good and positive. We also have a good relationship with Mauritania. However, as is well known, we currently have some problems with Morocco due to the Moroccan government's decision to recall its ambassador for consultations. We are fully committed to normalization, a point we have reiterated from the outset. We want to be friends with Morocco and maintain the closest possible relationship, and the Spanish government will certainly do everything in its power to do so.
Regarding the issue of Gibraltar, there is no new information, except to reiterate that the political will of both governments remains intact to reach an agreement as soon as possible.
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