Foreign relations of Spain

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Spain

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After the return of democracy following the death of General Franco in 1975, Spain's foreign policy priorities were to break out of the diplomatic isolation of the Franco years and expand diplomatic relations, enter the European Community, and define security relations with the West.

As a member of NATO since 1982, Spain has established itself as a major participant in multilateral international security activities. Spain's EU membership represents an important part of its foreign policy. Even on many international issues beyond western Europe, Spain prefers to coordinate its efforts with its EU partners through the European political cooperation mechanisms.

Contents 1 Regional relations 2 Disputes - international 3 Illicit drugs 4 Bilateral relations 5 See also 6 Further reading 7 References

[edit] Regional relations

Spain has maintained its special identification with Latin America. Its policy emphasizes the concept of an Ibero-American community, essentially the renewal of the historically liberal concept of "Hispano-Americanismo" (or hispanism as it is often referred to in English), which has sought to link the iberian peninsula with Latin America through language, commerce, history and culture. Spain has been an effective example of transition from dictatorship to democracy, as shown in the many trips that Spain's King and Prime Ministers have made to the region. Spain maintains economic and technical cooperation programs and cultural exchanges with Latin America, both bilaterally and within the EU.

Meanwhile, Spain has gradually begun to broaden its contacts with Sub-Saharan Africa. It has a particular interest in its former colony of Equatorial Guinea, where it maintains a large aid program. More recently Madrid has sought closer relation with Senegal, Mauritania, Mali and others to find solutions for the issue of illegal immigration to the Canary Islands.

Spain is also known as a broker in the Middle East. In its relations with the Arab world, Spain frequently supports Arab positions on Middle East issues. The Arab countries are a priority interest for Spain because of oil and gas imports and because several Arab nations have substantial investments in Spain.

Spain has been successful in managing its relations with its two European neighbours, France and Portugal. The accession of Spain and Portugal to the EU has helped ease some of their periodic trade frictions by putting these into an EU context. Franco-Spanish bilateral cooperation is enhanced by joint action against Basque ETA terrorism. Ties with the United Kingdom are generally good, although the question of Gibraltar remains a sensitive issue.

Today, Spain is trying to expand its still narrow relations with Far East nations. The People's Republic of China and Japan are the main points of interest for Spain in the region. Thailand and Indonesia are Spain's main allies in the ASEAN region, having a considerably number of agreements and a considerably good relationship. In the recent years Spain has also been boosting its contacts, relations and investment in other Asian countries, most notably Vietnam, South Korea and Malaysia. Relations with the Philippines are, despite of the colonial past, considerably weaker than the ones Spain has with other countries in the area, dealing mostly with cultural aspects and humanitary assitance programs.

[edit] Disputes - international

Gibraltar issue with the United Kingdom; Spain controls five places of sovereignty (plazas de soberanía) on and off the coast of Morocco - the coastal enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, which Morocco contests, as well as the islands of Peñon de Alhucemas, Peñon de Vélez de la Gomera, and Islas Chafarinas; by the Vienna Treaty of 1815, Spain recognized the Portuguese claims over Olivenza as "legitimate", but didn't agree to return the place to Portugal. The historic disputes with this country about the government of the Savage Islands in the Atlantic Ocean disappeared in recent times.

[edit] Illicit drugs

Spain is a key European gateway country for Latin American cocaine and North African hashish entering the European market. It is also a consumer of south-west Asian heroin.

[edit] Bilateral relations

With Latin American countries: During Aznar's government, Spanish relations with some Latin-American countries like Mexico, Venezuela and Cuba got worse, but were exceptionally good with others like Colombia, Dominican Republic and several Central America small republics. Zapatero's victory in the 2004 general elections changed this setting. Today, relations with Venezuela are quite good, which has caused an upset with the United States, who have been in recent conflicts with Venezuela via both countries presidents and Venezuela's growing relations with "Anti-American Nations", such as Cuba, China, and several other nations including Russia and Islamic Middle Eastern countries.

Besides Venezuela, the Spanish government has strongly increased its relations in recent years with Brazil, Argentina and Chile.

Country	Formal Relations Began	Notes
Armenia	1992-01-27	Armenia is represented in Spain through its embassy in Rome and there is an honorary consulate in Valencia. Spain is represented in Armenia through its embassy in Moscow (Russia) and an honorary consulate in Yerevan. There are around 42,000 people of Armenian descent living in Spain, specially in Valencia and Barcelona (See also Armenians in Spain) Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperations about the relation with Armenia (in Spanish only)
Belarus	1992-02-13	Belarus is represented in Spain through it embassy in Paris (France). Spain is represented in Belarus through it embassy in Moscow (Russia). Both countries are full members of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation about relations with Belarus (in Spanish only) Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation: Spanish representations in Belarus
Bolivia		A diplomatic crisis with Bolivia in 2005 due to a misunderstanding was quickly resolved by Zapatero and Spain became the first European country visited by Evo Morales in January 4, 2006. However, there remain problems surrounding the exploitation of oil and gas fields in the country by Spanish corporations like Repsol.
Bulgaria	1910-05-08	Relations were severed in 1946 and were restored in 1970 at the level of Consular Office and Trade Mission. Since January 27, 1970, the diplomatic relations were elevated to embassy level. Bulgaria has an embassy in Madrid and an honorary consulate in Barcelona.[1] Spain has an embassy in Sofia.[2] Both countries are full members of the NATO and of the European Union. Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs about relations with Bulgaria (in Spanish only)
Canada		See Canada–Spain relations
Croatia		See Croatia–Spain relations
Cuba		Relations with Cuba have historically been better. The relations with Cuba were always good, even during the strongly anti-communist dictatorship of Francisco Franco. This is a historic cause of little frictions with the United States.
Cyprus		See Cyprus–Spain relations
Estonia		See Estonia–Spain relations
Finland		See Finland–Spain relations
France		Spain has very good relations with France, especially since May 16, 2007, when Nicholas Sarkozy was elected President of France. The police of Spain and France are now cooperating to suppress the terrorist group ETA.
Germany		Spain had very good relations with Germany, until since March 14, 2004, when Zapatero was elected Spanish Prime Minister. The Prime Minister's relationship with the present Chancellor, Angela Merkel, is less close but remains civil.
Greece		See Greece–Spain relations
Holy See	1530	See Holy See – Spain relations
Hungary		See Hungary–Spain relations
Ireland		See Ireland–Spain relations
Israel	1975	Israel has an embassy in Madrid.[3] Spain has an embassy in Tel Aviv and an honorary consulate in Haifa.[4] Both countries are full members of the Union for the Mediterranean. Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs about relations with Israel (in Spanish only)
Italy		See Italy–Spain relations
Malta	1977	Malta has an embassy in Madrid and 5 honorary consulates (in Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Santander, Seville and Valencia).[5] Spain has an embassy in Valletta.[6] Both countries are full members of the European Union and of the Union for the Mediterranean.
Mexico		See Mexico–Spain relations
Moldova	1992-01-30	See Moldova–Spain relations
Morocco		Spain continues to focus attention Morocco. This concern is dictated by geographic proximity and long historical contacts, as well as by the two Spanish exclave cities of Ceuta and Melilla on the northern coast of Africa. While Spain's departure from its former colony of Western Sahara ended direct Spanish participation in Morocco, it maintains an interest in the peaceful resolution of the conflict brought about there by decolonization. These issues were highlighted by a crisis in 2002, when Spanish forces evicted a small contingent of Moroccans from a tiny islet off Morocco's coast following that nation's attempt to assert sovereignty over the Spanish island.
North Korea	2001	With the normalization of diplomatic relations with North Korea in 2001, Spain completed the process of universalizing its diplomatic relations.
Paraguay		See Paraguay–Spain relations
Portugal		See Portugal–Spain relations Relations between Portugal and Spain are also good. They cooperate in the fight against drug trafficking and tackling forest fires (common in the Iberian Peninsula in summers), for example. These close relations are facilitated by similar governments: the government of conservative Spanish PM José María Aznar coincided with the government of also conservative José Manuel Durão Barroso in Portugal; today, both José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero of Spain and José Sócrates of Portugal are socialists. Portugal also holds claim to the disputed territory of Olivença in the Portuguese-Spanish border.
Romania	1967-01-05	Both countries re-established diplomatic relations on January 5, 1967, 21 years after they were broken. Romania has an embassy in Madrid, 3 general consulates (in Barcelona, Castellon de la Plana and Sevilla) and 2 honorary consulates (in Murcia and Valencia).[7][8][9] Spain has an embassy in Bucharest.[10] Both countries are full members of the Latin Union, of NATO and of the European Union. There are around 730,000 people of Romanian descent living in Spain.
Russia	1520	See Russia–Spain relations Russia has an embassy in Madrid and a consulate-general in Barcelona. Spain has an embassy in Moscow. Spain and the Grand Duchy of Moscow first exchanged envoys in 1520s; regular embassies were established in 1722. Soviet-Spanish relations, once terminated after the Spanish Civil War, were gradually reestablished since 1963 and fully established in 1977. Trade between two countries amounts to two billion Euros (2008); in March 2009 two countries signed an energy agreement providing national energy companies access to other party's domestic markets.
Serbia	1916-10-14	Serbia has an embassy in Madrid.[11] Spain has an embassy in Belgrade.[12] In light of the February 2008 unilateral declaration of independence by the Kosovo authorities, Spain has become a staunch supporter of Serbia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and relations have thrived in recent years as a result. Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs about relations with Spain Spanish Ministry of Foreign Relations about relations with Serbia (in Spanish only)
Turkey		See Spanish–Turkish relations
Ukraine	1992-01-30	Spain recognized Ukraine’s independence in 1991. Spain has an embassy in Kiev.[13] Ukraine has an embassy in Madrid, a general consulate in Barcelona and a consulate in Málaga.[14] Both countries are full members of the Council of Europe. Since 1991, many Ukrainians have emigrated to Spain to work. Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs about relations with Ukraine (in Spanish only)
United Kingdom		See Spain–United Kingdom relations
United States		See Spain – United States relations Under the government of José María Aznar, Spain developed exceptionally good relations with the USA, in great part due to the personal empathy between Aznar and George W. Bush. Following Zapatero's decision to withdraw Spanish troops from Iraq immediately after the 2004 general elections, relations predictably soured, although important commercial links remained intact. When elected, President Barack Obama expressed his wish to enhance cooperation between both countries, specially in policies like the Green Energy plan from Zapatero [15] , introducing the AVE (the Spanish High Speed Train) in United States [16] and aiding US by receiving in spanish prisons Guantanamo Prison detainees [17]
Uruguay		See Spain–Uruguay relations

[edit] See also

• Diplomatic missions of Spain
• List of diplomatic missions in Spain

[edit] Further reading

• Gillespie, Richard (April 2007). "Spanish foreign policy: party alternatives or the pursuit of consensus?". Journal of Southern Europe and the Balkans 9 (1): 29–45. doi:10.1080/14613190701216995. 

• Iglesias-Cavicchioli, Manuel (Summer/Fall 2007). "A Period of Turbulent Change: Spanish-US Relations Since 2002". The Whitehead Journal of Diplomacy and International Relations 8 (2): 113–129. http://www.isn.ethz.ch/pubs/ph/details.cfm?v21=107270&lng=en&ord61=alphaNavi&ord60=PublicationDate&id=55621. 

[edit] References

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