Mariano Rajoy asserts that priority is to fight as a united front against "the true enemy" - DAESH terrorism

Antalya (Turkey)

During his press conference to the media, the President of the Government reported that, at an economic level, the members of the G-20 acknowledged that certain risks continue to threaten the global economy, such as the slowdown taking place in some emerging economies, and market volatility. They also agreed that "a sound and credible fiscal policy should be applied, which maintains price stability and allows a sustainable ratio of public debt to GDP". This fiscal policy should also promote increased investment to ensure improved competitiveness.

The President of the Government said that in Spain, the forecasts point to this public debt starting to fall as from next year. "Spain has met the targets set in the G-20 Action Plan and we are maintaining our commitment to policies that we consider to be essential to ensuring an additional increase in global growth of at least 2% up to 2018", he added.

Mariano Rajoy asserted that "the G-20 accepts that the quantity and quality of jobs should be increased in order to reduce inequality, which requires applying policies that foster growth". In this regard, he said that the government's goal is to create half a million new jobs each year for the coming four years.

According to the President of the Government, the biggest news to come out of the meeting was the debate on measures to strengthen the economy. Mariano Rajoy explained to the leaders of the G-20 that Spanish banks have gone from problems of solvency to "obtaining excellent results in the stress tests"; and how this clean-up process has translated to the volume of financing available to private agents as well as to interest rates. "Credit is increasing in Spain and interest rates are falling, which is very positive for the economy and for investment, and hence for job creation", he stated.

Tax evasion

Pool Moncloa / Diego CrespoMariano Rajoy highlighted the leading role played by Spain at a European level in terms of the fight against tax evasion and erosion. In this regard, he highlighted that the country will be among the first in the world "to adopt the automatic and standardised exchange of fiscal informationat an international level which is scheduled for 2017".

Furthermore, he pointed out that all the progress made on this issue "allows us to increase the margins to continue with our policy of lowering taxation". During this term of office, he specified, the measures to combat fraud "have been very effective, have allowed more than 40 billion euros to be collected, almost double that which we will allocate next year to paying unemployment benefits, and for tax bases to emerge for the sum of 120 billion euros".

Climate change

Another issue tackled at the forum is the reduction in contaminating emissions and the funding for policies to achieve this, explained Mariano Rajoy, an issue on which it is expected to achieve "a high degree of commitment from all countries" at the upcoming Climate Summit to start in Paris on 30 November.

The President of the Government recalled that Spain has contributed 1.4 billion euros to the fight against climate change, double the amount in the previous term of office, and committed 120 million euros to the Green Climate Fund at the last Council of Ministers. Moreover, he announced that it will commit "to a more significant volume of aid as from 2020" at the Climate Summit.

United fight against terrorism

Pool Moncloa / Diego CrespoWhile taking stock of the summit, Mariano Rajoy also underlined the approval of a declaration containing an outright condemnation of terrorism and of condolence with the victims of the attacks in Paris. "A text in which all the countries expressed our determination to fight this scourge together", he declared.

Mariano Rajoy pointed out that the declaration clearly establishes that terrorism lacks any form of justification whatsoever. "Nothing, no ideology, religion or ethnicity; nothing can justify the atrocities that we have witnessed in recent days in Paris and previously in so many other parts of the world".

He also mentioned international cooperation in this area, which is fundamental for hunting out the circuits that fund terrorism, fighting radicalisation processes in each country, attending to the phenomenon of foreign fighters and maintaining fluid and constant lines open for the exchange of information. "These are all areas in which Spain has been working for years, the ones we defend in the European Union and at all the forums where this issue is debated, which is one of the greatest challenges we are facing around the world", he claimed.

Resolving the problem in Syria

Pool Moncloa/Diego CrespoIn response to questions from journalists, the President of the Government argued that both the fight against terrorism and tackling the refuge crisis require the problem in Syria to be resolved. "The priority is for us all to fight the common enemy - DAESH terrorism - as a united front", principally in Syria, he said. Mariano Rajoy called for a "diplomatic effort" to resolve the situation in this country "as soon as possible".

The President of the Government pointed out that Spain is a member of the International Coalition against DAESH and that it is tackling this terrorism by way of helping train the Iraqi Army and taking part in the NATO mission in Adana to defend Turkey, "with the support of the vast majority of the Spanish Parliament". In his opinion, on this issue "what is important is to think things through very well, taking the opinion of your allies into close account and working in a coordinated fashion with them".

The President of the Government recalled that many Jihadi terrorists have been arrested in Spain over the course of recent years, particularly in the last year, and praised the "proven effectiveness" of the State law enforcement agencies and the intelligence services in this field.

As regards the possibility that other political formations sign the State Pact against Jihadi Terrorism signed between the government, the PP and the PSOE, he stressed that he would be "delighted" for all those that wish to do so to sign up to this agreement. "The important thing is to effectively fight terrorism and to be with those who have so brutally and dramatically been struck at this time, as has happened with the French", he added.

Bilateral meetings

BeforePool Moncloa / Diego Crespo the second work session on Monday, the President of the Government met with the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to analyse, among other issues, the situation in Syria and the migratory crisis.

He also held a meeting with the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, to tackle economic relations between Spain and India.

At the end of the work sessions, Mariano Rajoy also met with the President of China, Xi Jinping, to analyse, among other issue, trade exchanges between the two countries.