Spain and Sweden delve into the files that will mark the agenda of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU

Pedro Sánchez meets with the Swedish Prime Minister

Regarding the importance that the diversification of supply chains has for Europe, Pedro Sánchez has emphasized the pending trade agreements with Latin America and has reiterated the need to advance the agreements with Chile, Mexico and Mercosur.

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The president of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, has held a meeting in the Moncloa Palace with Ulf Kristersson, Prime Minister of Sweden, a country that holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union until June 30.

 

This meeting has been very useful to delve into the status of the main files that Spain will have to manage starting next July 1, when Spain will assume the rotating presidency. In this context, President Sánchez has expressed interest in Sweden's concerns and priorities regarding the Presidency, and has conveyed to Ulf Kristersson the intention to structure it in a search for consensus that avoid bloc policies between different Member States.

 

Both leaders have agreed on the impact that the war Putin has had during the Swedish Presidency, and have highlighted that, during the European Councils and the Councils of Ministers of the EUAll countries have continued to demonstrate a shared determination to provide Ukraine with all the assistance it needs, whether political, economic, humanitarian, or military. "As I had the opportunity to convey to the President last Thursday..." Zelensky in Moldova"Spain will continue working, as Sweden has done, to help Ukraine on the path to the European Union," President Sánchez emphasized.

 

He also emphasized Spain's support for Sweden's integration into NATO and conveyed to his Swedish counterpart the desire for this accession to take place as soon as possible, since "it will contribute to making this organization stronger, more cohesive and better prepared to face the challenges we face."

 

This unjust and unjustified war, President Sánchez has highlighted, has led the European Union to become aware of the need to continue promoting reforms that will be at the center of the European debate during the Spanish Presidency of the Council. In this context, the President of the Government and the Prime Minister of Sweden have addressed the importance of studying the vulnerabilities of the European Union, reducing foreign dependence or promoting competitiveness.

 

Both have agreed on the importance of continuing to support reindustrialization and advancing the green and digital transitions. These are some of the issues that both leaders have discussed when addressing the current state of the law on critical raw materials, the law on the Zero Emissions Industry, the artificial intelligence regulation or the package on decarbonization of the gas and hydrogen markets.

 

Regarding the importance that diversification of supply chains has for Europe, President Sánchez has emphasized the pending trade agreements with Latin America"It is a region with which we share culture and values," he noted, reiterating the need to move forward with agreements with Chile, Mexico and Mercosur.

 

Likewise, among the files addressed by both leaders is the reform of the electricity market. President Sánchez recalled that energy is another of the vulnerabilities that the war in Ukraine has revealed, and has conveyed his intention to reach, before the end of this year, an agreement that guarantees our consumers and companies a supply safe, at reasonable prices and in line with climate neutrality objectives.

 

The two leaders have had the opportunity to address other files that the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU will have on its agenda, such as the reform of fiscal rules, the multiannual budget review or the conclusion of the Migration and Asylum Pact.

 

Furthermore, President Sánchez emphasized one of the outstanding objectives: preparing the European Union to face new challenges within a new geopolitical context and with a broader composition. "We must reflect on our future and on how we will make decisions when we are faced with a larger, more diverse, and more complex European Union," he stressed, noting that this issue will be of vital importance in contributing to the new Strategic Agenda for the next European legislative period (2024-2029).