News story

Foreign Secretary meets the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs for talks in Madrid

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, and the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, met on 15 December in Madrid.

This was published under the 2019 to 2022 Johnson Conservative government

The Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, and Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, met yesterday in Madrid. This was the Foreign Secretary’s first bilateral European visit in her first 100 days in office.

The Ministers agreed to work closely across the international agenda including on combating malign actors, tackling illegal migration and the upcoming NATO summit in Madrid in 2022. They agreed to work on new energy and tech collaborations.

Both underlined the strength of our economic and commercial relations, and the importance of contacts between our societies and citizens – a truly special aspect of our bilateral relationship.

The Foreign Ministers welcomed the constructive nature of negotiations between the EU and the UK in respect of Gibraltar and reaffirmed their shared commitment to the Political Framework of 2020, and agreed that it is in everyone’s interest to aim to conclude these talks in Q1 2022. The UK maintained its position on the sovereignty of Gibraltar.

Media enquiries

Email newsdesk@fcdo.gov.uk

Telephone 020 7008 3100

Contact the FCDO Communication Team via email (monitored 24 hours a day) in the first instance, and we will respond as soon as possible.

Updates to this page

Published 16 December 2021