​"Economic growth and job creation must remain the main goals in Europe", says Mariano Rajoy

Berlin (Germany)

The President of the Government took part in Berlin in the preparatory meeting of European members of the G-20 prior to the upcoming group summit to be held in Hamburg (Germany) on 7 and 8 July.

The meeting was chaired by the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, and was attended by the French President, Emmanuel Macron; the Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom, Theresa May; Italy, Paolo Gentiloni; Holland, Mark Rutte; and Norway, Erna Solberg, and the Presidents of the European Council, Donald Tusk, and of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker.

In the joint speech by all of the European leaders, with the exception of Theresa May, Mariano Rajoy highlighted that "economic growth and job creation must remain the main goals in Europe and they clearly are for Spain". Our country, he pointed out, has been growing at a rate in excess of 3% over the last three years and is creating some 500,000 jobs each year. "The goal is to continue at this rate for the next three years".

On this point, the President of the Government highlighted the positive inflation and growth figures published on Thursday, 29 June, by the Bank of Spain. In his opinion, economic recovery has been possible thanks to the reforms and to the foreign trade sector.

Mariano Rajoy stressed that Spain supports free trade and multilateralism, wants to see clarity against protectionism and calls for "the rulebook to be the same for everyone and for this to be respected".

As regards climate change, another of the issues to be tackled in Hamburg, the President of the Government of Spain advocated offering "clear and resounding support for the decisions and agreements adopted at the Paris Summit".

On the issue of terrorism, he argued that work must be done in three directions: on improving international cooperation, on fighting terrorism tooth and nail on the Internet and on countering the financing of terrorism and money laundering. The President of the Government also stressed the role of victims in their personal fight against this scourge.

In terms of immigration, Mariano Rajoy pointed out that the battle must always be waged at source. "We believe that we must help countries to improve their development and be fully focussed on fighting the mafias".

On this last issue, the President of the Government expressed his solidarity with the people and Government of Italy in light of the arrival of immigrants on its shores and offered help to "avoid the dramatic situations" unfolding there.