The United Kingdom´s Foreign Secretary, Liz Truss, and Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, met this week in Madrid. This was the Foreign Secretary’s first bilateral European visit in her first 100 days in office.

The Ministers agreed to work closely across the international agenda including on combating malign actors, tackling illegal migration and the upcoming NATO summit in Madrid in 2022. They agreed to work on new energy and technical collaborations.

Both underlined the strength of their economic and commercial relations, and the importance of contacts between the societies and the public – a truly special aspect of the bilateral relationship.

The Foreign Ministers welcomed the constructive nature of negotiations between the EU and the UK in respect of Gibraltar and reaffirmed their shared commitment to the Political Framework of 2020, and agreed that it is in everyone’s interest to aim to conclude these talks in Q1 2022. The UK maintained its position on the sovereignty of Gibraltar.