Spain and Honduras commit to development and prosperity in Central America

Tegucigalpa (Honduras)

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, and the President of Honduras, Xiomara Castro, have held a meeting as part of the Latin American tour that Sánchez began in Colombia, which later took him to Ecuador and ended today in Honduras.

It is his first official visit to the country and also the first visit by a President of the Government of Spain since 1999. With this tour, Pedro Sánchez is continuing a proactive work agenda with Latin America, which the Spanish President inaugurated as soon as he became head of the Government of Spain in 2018.

Spain and Honduras maintain close ties, which the Government of Spain has every interest in continuing to grow. We are united by our commitment to democracy and regional stability as well as a global vision that revolves around the promotion of peace and the defence of human rights.

Business relations

We share an aspiration: to achieve a fair recovery from the COVID-19 health crisis. A recovery that Pedro Sánchez has insisted "must protect economic growth and job creation, families and companies", in the face of the uncertainty caused by the invasion of Ukraine.

"For this reason, Spain and Honduras can do much more," continued President Sánchez. "We can do more by strengthening our economic and trade ties, which is the will of our two governments."

Pool Moncloa / Borja Puig de la Bellacasa

The President was accompanied on this visit by the Minister for Industry, Trade and Tourism, Reyes Maroto. Both have held a meeting with a group of representatives for Spanish companies with a presence in Honduras that have a desire to remain in the country and have made a commitment to invest, create jobs and achieve sustainable development in the country. The President assured all of them that "they will have the full support of the Government of Spain".

Collaboration

The President also met with representatives of the Coordination Board for Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation Stakeholders in Honduras. Collaboration on development is another fundamental axis of relations between the two countries. Over the past 40 years, Spanish Agency for International Development Collaboration in the region has carried out important projects focused on the areas of local development - especially water and sanitation - digitalisation, women's rights and the rights of the LGTBI community, to name but a few. And Spain will continue with this commitment in line with the priorities outlined by the Honduran government. It is currently governed by the Country Partnership Framework, which forecasts that EUR 215 million will be mobilised over the period 2020-2023.

"A world without international solidarity would be a much more hostile world that would be uninhabitable for many," President Sánchez told them. "I would especially like to thank you, those who live in expatriate countries. Living far from one's place of origin, having both one's heart and one's responsibilities split and divided, makes any vital undertaking very difficult. I admire you for that. You are the best and most exemplary image of Spain abroad, as well as an important asset of Spanish society."

Pool Moncloa/Borja Puig de la Bellacasa

The President also visited the Comayagua Colonial Foundation Workshop School. Education and capacity building are fundamental to the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation. This is the best way to create a horizon of opportunities, especially among young people. For this reason, it is essential for Spain to support the National Workshop Schools Programme in Honduras, whose objective is to develop technical training processes that facilitate the entry into the Honduran labour market of vulnerable, young people.

"Spain and Honduras agree that education and employment are fundamental to ensuring orderly migration, as well as improving conditions and opportunities in the country of origin," Pedro Sánchez stressed.

In this regard, the Agreement on the Management of Migration Flows signed last year between the two countries is a real milestone in their bilateral relationship, which has made it possible to launch a pilot project on circular migration with Honduras, which will see the arrival of a first contingent of 250 workers in 2022 to participate in agricultural campaigns in Spain. The objective is to continue expanding this project in line with the commitment announced by Spain at the last Summit of the Americas.

Throughout the pandemic, Spain has always demonstrated a firm commitment to Honduras and its most vulnerable population. It has done so with a donation of 280,000 COVID-19 vaccines, an immunisation effort that Spain will continue to develop.

In this regard, President Sánchez and President Castro have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to promote health collaboration between the two countries and strengthen health systems in Honduras.

Final summary of the tour

Pool Moncloa/Borja Puig de la Bellacasa

Spain has been committed to Central America for decades, following its socio-economic and institutional development and supporting its regional integration process.

"This visit represents my desire to deepen regional collaboration with Central American countries in order to go further along the path of peace, freedom, democracy and development. These are the principles that inspired the Central American Integration System", emphasised Pedro Sánchez and Xiomara Castro.

This last stop in Honduras on President Sánchez's tour reiterates Spain's renewed commitment to Latin America. As part of the Ibero-American community, Spain always echoes the region's needs and sensitivities in all the forums in which it participates, especially in the European Union.

Latin America is a top priority for Spanish foreign policy action. 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. In particular, this will be actioned during the upcoming presidency of the European Council that Spain will hold during the second half of 2023, when it will organise the first European Union-CELAC Summit since the last one was held in 2015.

Non official translation