The bombs, the dead and the wounded in Lebanon are the latest proof of the difficult moment that the world is going through, said the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, in New York on Tuesday. In these difficult times, Spain is defending this week before the UN General Assembly the importance of respect for international law. “International politics is undergoing important transformations that require a joint and decisive response,” said Albares at the opening of the forum. Latin America, the United States and Spain in the global economy, organized in New York by EL PAÍS and the Spain-United States Chamber of Commerce. The president of Prisa, Joseph Oughourlian, stressed the importance of the upcoming US elections at the forum. In the debates and discussions, he stressed, what is missing is for the candidates to stop seeing Latin America only as a threat, due to immigration, and pay attention to the great opportunities in the region.
Marco Antonio Achón, president of the Spain-United States Chamber of Commerce, stressed that these regions “share deep historical, economic and cultural ties.” “The forum offers an opportunity to
“This is a unique opportunity to discuss the political and economic landscape that will define our common future,” he added, with the idea of “further strengthening the bridges between Spain, Latin America and the United States.” The event, organized by EL PAÍS and the Spain-United States Chamber of Commerce, is sponsored by DLA Piper, Iberia, Inditex, Indra, NTT Data and Total Protect in collaboration with the Organization of Ibero-American States (OEI).
The president of Prisa, the publishing group of EL PAÍS, stressed the importance of the US presidential elections on November 5. “We all have in mind its consequences for geopolitics and the economy in general, and how it will affect many of our businesses and the decisions we are going to make,” he said, before drawing attention to what is missing: “Listening to the debates and the candidates, I can’t help but think that there is a great absence, which is the relationship between the United States and Latin America. In other words, the only thing that is discussed with regard to Latin America is the issue of immigration, the wall or no wall, and the way in which the region is seen as a threat, as a problem for the United States,” he said.
Oughourlian contrasted that with China’s heavy investment in Latin America, which he put at $50 billion over the past decade, after having invested almost nothing in the decade before that. “They are increasing their investments in the region, and for good reason: Latin America is the world’s largest producer of raw materials. Consider a crucial raw material like lithium. China has invested $11 billion since 2018 in lithium extraction, which will be at the heart of electric vehicles and electrification,” he explained.
“There is a lot going on down there, a lot of which we must be aware, and we must not give up on that region. That is certainly the purpose of this conference, which is to strengthen ties between the United States, Spain and Latin America,” he added. Oughourlian stressed that Spain has indeed maintained its commitment to the region, with accumulated investments of 150 billion dollars in the last 30 years. “I am proud to say that Spain has not abandoned the region,” he concluded.
International uncertainty
Although the forum is focused on this transatlantic triangle, it is impossible to forget the uncertainty on the international scene for another year. Albares’ opening remarks, just before addressing the UN General Assembly, made this clear. “International politics is undergoing important transformations that require a joint and decisive response,” he said. “We are facing unprecedented challenges, increasing tensions between the great powers, the resurgence of ideological polarization and the rise of far-right parties, growing competition for strategic resources, and also global threats such as climate change and pandemics, which continue to exist and know new frontiers. These phenomena are altering the traditional balance of power, generating uncertainty and risk for peace and stability, and that is why today, more than ever, we must reaffirm our commitment to multilateralism, to the United Nations,” he proclaimed.
Albares called for the strengthening and renewal of global institutions to adapt to new realities. “It is essential that nations work together, dialogue and cooperation must be guiding principles of our foreign policy, as is the case of Spanish foreign policy, because unilateralism only leads to fragmentation, and fragmentation often leads to conflict,” he said, before reviewing those that have broken out in the Middle East, with Gaza and Lebanon; in Eastern Europe, with the war in Ukraine, or in various places in Africa.
“In this context, we must reaffirm that respect for human rights and the search for peace must be at the heart of our foreign policy. Spain will continue to work in international forums to promote universal respect for the fundamental rights of all people in Ukraine, the Middle East, Gaza, Lebanon and Venezuela,” he said. The Spanish government has been highly critical of Israel’s actions in Gaza and Lebanon and has asked the government of Benjamin Netanyahu to avoid an escalation.
Albares stressed the importance of developing legal and ethical frameworks so that artificial intelligence is not a tool for conflict, but for progress. He also highlighted the importance of strategic alliances, including the one that links Spain and the European Union with CELAC, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States. And also the transatlantic relationship: “For Spain, for the European Union, the United States is the indispensable ally, the natural ally. Shared values, the mutual interconnection of our economies puts us in an unbeatable position to continue advancing together in strengthening multilateral institutions to promote strong, sustainable and inclusive economic growth, defend democratic governments and promote solutions to global challenges,” he insisted.
“We live in very difficult times. We are all aware of this, but we also live in times of opportunity, times in which the true meaning of the words friend, partner, ally is more true than ever. It is time to strengthen the ties that unite us as an international community, and to act with responsibility and vision to build together a more peaceful, secure and prosperous future for all nations. That is why we work every day,” he concluded.
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