Spain and Ecuador commit to a greater international role for Latin America

Quito (Ecuador)

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, and the President of Ecuador, Guillermo Lasso, have held a meeting within the framework of the Latin American tour that Sánchez started yesterday in Colombia and has taken him today to Ecuador.

It is his first official visit to the country and the first visit by a Spanish President since 1999. The tour, with which Pedro Sánchez is continuing a proactive work agenda with Latin America that the Spanish president inaugurated as soon as he became head of government in 2018, will conclude tomorrow in Honduras.

"Latin America is a top priority area for Spanish foreign policy action," Pedro Sánchez and President Lasso reaffirmed after the meeting.

Pool Moncloa/Borja Puig de la Bellacasa

"In a time of enormous, shared challenges which know no national borders or continental boundaries, as are climate change, global pandemics and food insecurity, it is essential that Latin America and the Caribbean play a very active role on the international stage".

In this context, Spain is firmly committed to boosting relations with Latin America both bilaterally and with the EU. This will be especially apparent during the upcoming presidency of the European Council that our country will hold in the second half of 2023, when it will organise the first European Union-CELAC Summit since 2015.

The reactivation of this meeting by the Spanish Presidency of the EU will be complemented by the Ibero-American Summits in 2023 and 2024, in the Dominican Republic and Ecuador, respectively.

This is a calendar which, according to President Sánchez, "offers a unique opportunity to relaunch the role of Ibero-America on the international stage, wherein Ecuador is called upon to play a particularly active role and where Spain's commitment to this momentum will be underlined by the profoundly pro-European vocation" of the Government of Spain. President Sánchez thanked President Lasso for his country's "ongoing participation at the highest level" in the Ibero-American Summits.

Joint Declaration

Ecuador is a very important partner for Spain, reflected in the Joint Declaration adopted by the two countries, which aims to deepen their political dialogue, trade and investment and cultural relations. The Declaration also confirms Spain and Ecuador's commitment to stability and regional cooperation.

Foto: Pool Moncloa/Borja Puig de la Bellacasa

Spain and Ecuador share fundamental values, including the defence of democracy and human rights. Evidence of this can be found in the months since Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine began, during which Ecuador has stood unequivocally on the side of international legality and in defence of a rules-based multilateral order.

Likewise, both countries share a common vision in the preservation of gender equality, environmental conservation and the fight against climate change and poverty.

Ecuador has pledged to increase cooperation on migration issues, while Spain will continue to support Ecuador's aspiration for the EU to exempt its citizens from the Schengen short-stay visa.

Business relations

We are also united by strong economic and business relations, which both Spain and Ecuador wish to deepen in a special way in these times of global economic fragility.

Foto: Pool Moncloa/Borja Puig de la Bellacasa

The President of the Government of Spain is accompanied on this Latin American tour by the Minister for Industry, Trade and Tourism, Reyes Maroto, and by a large delegation of representatives of Spanish companies. All of them have taken part in a business meeting with the aim of the Government to show support for Spanish companies present in Ecuador, and to value and strengthen bilateral economic relations and increase investment.

"This business meeting reflects the shared intention of the two governments to deepen a bilateral economic relationship that has already borne fruit, but which undoubtedly has ample room for expansion," Pedro Sánchez stressed.

The presence of Spanish companies in Ecuador has multiplied in recent years to more than a hundred, especially significantly in sectors such as textiles, food, fishing, engineering, construction, telecommunications, publishing, transport, consultancy, hotels and tourism, insurance and hydrocarbons.

Development cooperation

Pedro Sánchez durante su visita el centro histórico de Quito. | Pool Moncloa/Borja Puig de la Bellacasa

Development cooperation is a priority area in relations between Spain and Ecuador. In the last 30 years, our country has invested almost $1 billion in this area. Excellent examples of Spain's commitment to development cooperation with Ecuador can be found in the Debt Swap Programme and, in the cultural sphere, in the reconstruction of Quito's impressive historic centre, which President Pedro Sánchez has toured with President Lasso.

Non official translation