Institutional statement following the meeting of the National Security Council and the calling of the Monitoring Committee of the State Pact Against Jihadist Terrorism

Moncloa Palace, Madrid

Attending the meeting were the Vice-President of the Government, the Ministers of Defence, Justice, Home Affairs, Treasury and Public Administration, Public Works, Industry, Energy and Tourism, and Economic Affairs and Competition; as well as the State Secretary for Foreign Affairs, the State Secretary for Security, the State Secretary and Director of the National Intelligence Centre, the Defence Chief of Staff and the Director of the Department of National Security.

The President of the Government once more offered his condolences on behalf of all the Spanish Government to the French people for the attacks in Paris the other night, repeating his decided willingness to collaborate with the French authorities in the fight against terrorism, as he also expressed in his statement this morning at the Moncloa complex.

The President of the Government has been in permanent contact with the French Prime Minister, Manuel Valls, and this morning he spoke with the President of the French Republic, François Hollande.

He has also been in touch with the leader of the opposition, the General Secretary of the PSOE party, Pedro Sánchez, as well as other leaders of the main political parties and social organisations.

The Monitoring Committee of the State Pact Against Jihadist Terrorism was also called and met at the Ministry of Home Affairs this morning. It was the first to be informed of the agreements adopted by the National Security Council, which are as follows:

• Those in the Government responsible for counter-terrorism issues have reported on the continuous contacts with the French authorities at all levels, including intelligence.
• The Minister for Justice has reported on the meetings that will be held at a judicial level and with the Prosecution Service through our liaison officers in Paris and Madrid.
• Following the analysis carried out this morning by the Threat Assessment Desk, chaired by the State Secretary for Security, and its subsequent review by the Council, it has been agreed to maintain the Terrorist Alert at Level 4 ("High Risk"), as adopted on 26 June this year, though with security stepped up in some areas.
• The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, through the State Secretary for Foreign Affairs, has reported that the Consulate General in Paris is fully prepared to deal with consultations by Spanish citizens and is in close contact with the French authorities in order to gather all the information needed. So far there is no official report of any Spanish citizen among the fatalities of Friday's attacks, although the condition of those affected and injured continues to be monitored, and there may be Spanish citizens among them.
• The National Security Council has agreed to give maximum publicity to the Consulate public information lines and Ministry's central consular emergency services:
• Consulate in Paris: +33 615 93 87
• Consular Emergency (Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation): +34 91 379 97 00
• As a sign of respect to the French people, public institutions were asked to fly their flags at half mast from Saturday until Monday, 16 November at 12.00 noon.
• A minute's silence will also be observed on Monday, 16 November at 12 noon at the headquarters of public institutions, as a sign of condolence and solidarity with the French people.

Finally, the President of the Government was due to sign the Book of Condolences on Saturday at the French Embassy in Madrid.