Meeting with King Felipe, President Kaljulaid focussed on the fight against the coronavirus crisis, cooperation between Estonia and Spain within the EU and mitigating the impact of the crisis by making the most of new technology and the opportunities afforded by the green revolution.
President Kaljulaid thanked King Felipe for Spain’s contribution to ensuring security in our region. “In recent years we have often heard the roar of the engines as Spanish fighter jets have taken to the skies from our base in Ämari, and they are always welcome to return,” President Kaljulaid remarked after the meeting. “Just as important to us is the contribution Spain has made to the NATO battle group through its presence in Lithuania. NATO is at its strongest when, in every corner of the alliance, we show an interest in and do our best to understand the threats that our allies face and deem most important.”
In her meeting with Prime Minister Sanchez, President Kaljulaid also raised the issues of mitigating the impact of the COVID-19 crisis and the need for the development of e-governance, which has become a top priority around the world since the onset of the crisis. In this regard the Estonian head of state introduced to Prime Minister Sanchez the global framework for health data interoperability being developed by Estonia and the World Health Organization.
President Kaljulaid and Prime Minister Sanchez also discussed security, threats emerging to the south and east, options for working together to confront them and support for partners and neighbours in these areas. President Kaljulaid says that the coronavirus crisis is magnifying certain concerns and that, among other things, we are likely to see significant growth in migration pressure on Europe in the coming months as a result. “We need to act together, now, to alleviate what is causing the pressure brought about by the crisis in the countries from which people are emigrating, and here we can rely on the knowledge and experience our allies in Southern Europe have,” the head of state said.
President Kaljulaid also met today with Spanish parliamentary speaker Meritxell Batet and Foreign Minister María Aránzazu González Laya. As part of her visit, the head of state also took part in a roundtable at the Royal Elcano Institute dedicated to foreign and security policy in the post-pandemic world, laid a wreath on the grave of Estonia’s first ambassador to Spain Karl Robert Pusta and opened an outdoor exhibition showcasing Estonian street photography.
President Kaljulaid’s trip to Madrid constitutes the first working visit to Spain of her time in office. It has been timed to mark the centenary of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Estonia and the Kingdom of Spain. A timeline of the diplomatic relations between the two countries can be found online at https://madrid.mfa.ee/et/eesti-ja-hispaania-diplomaatilised-suhted-100/.
The head of state will be returning to Estonia tomorrow.
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