NEW DELHI: Spain's Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares arrived in India on Wednesday for his first official visit and met with India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. During the meeting, they both went through the entire gamut of bilateral relations.

The two Ministers agreed to give the relationship new depth and content. Trade and investments, people-to-people ties, climate cooperation, green energy, science and technology, innovation, and defence and security were all discussed in depth.

They emphasised the importance of holding frequent meetings of bilateral institutional bodies and completing MoUs/Agreements in various areas as soon as possible. The Ministers signed a Joint Declaration of Intent on Cooperation in Cultural and Academic Fields during the meeting.

Both ministers agreed to deepen defence and security cooperation, with Airbus Spain supplying 56 C295 aircraft, 40 of which will be manufactured in India. They reaffirmed their resolve to collaborate closely in combating common threats such as terrorism, violent extremism, and cybercrime.

They expressed delight that bilateral trade has recovered from pre-Covid levels and that there is great room for growth. They agreed that there are more opportunities in sectors such as information technology, pharmaceuticals, and renewable energy, as well as new and untapped emerging areas such as green hydrogen, electric mobility, advanced materials, and deep-sea exploration, where the two countries can collaborate more closely.

The Ministers also discussed a number of regional and global issues of mutual interest, emphasising their shared knowledge and commitment to tackling common challenges such as climate change, global health, sustainable development, and counter-terrorism.

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