Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a meeting with Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs José Manuel Albares on May 10, 2024. The discussion was centered around several key international issues, according to Spokesperson Matthew Miller.
Miller stated that the Secretary and the Foreign Minister underscored unwavering transatlantic support for Ukraine as it defends against Russia’s brutal and unprovoked war. They also shared their concerns about PRC and third-country support to the Russian defense industrial base.
In addition, they called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza as part of a hostage deal. They stressed the value of working with regional leaders to ensure Palestinian civilians’ safe access to humanitarian assistance as well as the need to prevent further escalation in the Middle East.
The officials discussed cooperation to assist Haiti through the Multinational Security Support mission and expressed their shared concern for instability in the Sahel region. Preparations for the upcoming July 9-11 NATO Washington Summit were also on their agenda, highlighting their crucial relationship as NATO Allies.
Furthermore, they touched upon ever-increasing U.S.-Spanish collaboration in Latin America, shared priorities on investment, migration, and democracy. The importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and in the South China Sea were also among the topics related to the Indo-Pacific region that were discussed during this meeting.
