Mr Sanchez Goes To Washington

All the world is a stage for Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez as he continues his high-level global diplomacy with a visit on Friday to Washington and a meeting in the White House with President Joe Biden.

Sanchez was there to discuss a range of issues in advance of Spain taking the rotating presidency of the European Union in July including the war in Ukraine, immigration, and climate change.

Earlier the Spanish Prime Minister has met Congressional leaders including former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Biden had previously met Sanchez in Madrid at the NATO Summit last year as well as the G20 in Indonesia in November 2022.

Of concern to the Spanish government is the US position over the Western Sahara, which under Trump had been recognised as part of Morocco, but which runs contrary to Spanish and EU policy on the disputed territory.

Spain has been a firm supporter of the US position on Ukraine which could a key discussion point given Sánchez’s recent visit to China where he met Xi Jinping.

There will also be talk of commercial disagreements, such as Spanish olive exports being subject to U.S tariff restrictions.

In military matters there is clearer collaboration, and Spain has already authorized the arrival of two of the six U.S. destroyers that will be stationed at the Rota military base in southern Spain.

In the readout between the two leaders President Biden said the two nations are linked by a shared desire to promote the principles of freedom.

He also thanked the Spanish leader for his “ significant support” for Ukraine and the new US-Spanish  defence cooperation agreement.

He also said both nations were “both facing the challenges of migration in the Western Hemisphere”.

In return Sanchez said Spain and the United States share common values, and had excellent bilateral relations are excellent.

“We are allies, friends, and also are strategic partners” and can “count on Spain.”