Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs Marta Dassù’s mission to Madrid sought mainly to revive cooperation between Italy and Spain on questions concerning the EU and Latin America “after a year of sparse relations owing to respective domestic affairs”, and with “the new period of intense bilateral contacts” that began with the February summit between Premiers Mario Monti and Mariano Rajoy.
Dassù’s meetings with the Secretaries of State for Latin America, Jesus Garcia and for the European Union Inigo Mendez de Vigo were part of a packed agenda that included meetings with President of the EU-Latin America Foundation, former EU Commissioner Benita Waldner, and with the representative of the InderoAmerican Secretariat General Ruy Amaral.
Within the context of this intensification of bilateral relations, Dassù and Mendex de Vigo cited the upcoming visits to Romeo f Spanish Ministers for Defence, Pedro Morenes, Agriculture, Miguel Aria, scheduled for 3 April, which could be followed in June by the Italo-Spanish business and civil society forum. President of the Republic Giorgio Napolitano is planning a visit to Spain in October for the COTEC Foundation summit for development of technological innovation, chaired by the Heads of State of Italy, Spain and Portugal.
Under-Secretary Dassù underscored “the importance of relations between the two countries, which are courageously confronting reform, and that count at European level”. They also discussed the meeting on the future of Europe, with Spain intending to propose new ideas at the meeting of European foreign ministers, among which the development of the structure and functioning of the European External Action Service. “We found we had similar positions on financial prospects for 2014-2020, since we both favour increased funding for Mediterranean countries, and we agreed on agricultural policies”, Dassù explained.
The Syrian crisis took centre stage, however, in regard to which the two Under-Secretaries expressed “enormous apprehension” and “deep concern over the humanitarian question”, commenting on the decision to close their respective embassies, leaving only an official EU delegation representative.
