'Spain is right country to be partner of India in building its strategic autonomy': Spanish envoy
Nov 22, 2023
New Delhi [India], November 22 : The Spanish Ambassador to India, Jose Maria Ridao Dominguez, emphasised on Wednesday that Spain is the right country to be a partner of India in building its strategic autonomy, stressing that "we don't have any issue in this part of the world."
"We are fully aware that India wants to build its strategic autonomy and we think that Spain is the right country to be a partner because we don't have any issues in this part of the world. We are very transparent," he said.
Jose Maria Ridao Dominguez attended the third edition of the Spain-India Forum in New Delhi on Wednesday, along with Juan Ignacio, Chairman of Spain-India Council Foundation and Sanjay Verma, Ministry of External Affairs Secretary (West).
He further said that Spanish companies are one of the most important companies in the world. "In this field, we have exported to many other countries like Saudi Arabia, Australia, and the UK..."
Moreover, Dominguez told ANI that Spain is working in the defence industry and has a tender for six submarines for the Indian Navy.
"We are working in another field in which we are really engaged, which is the defence industry...we have this tender in front of us, which is the tender for six submarines for the Indian Navy," he said.
Furthermore, he highlighted that the Spanish company Navantia is engaged in this tender and "they offer the latest technology for this kind of submarine."
"We are very happy to have this kind of cooperation in this particular area, the defence industry because it's not only a question of market or trade but it's also about our contribution to stability in this part of the world in the Indo-Pacific," he added.
Earlier in the day, the third edition of the Spain-India Forum was held, where MEA secretary Sanjay Verma emphasised that within a decade, every second or third youth out of ten in the international workforce would be an Indian.
Underscoring the migration mobility agreement, he said, "Within a decade or so, every third or every second youth out of ten in the international workforce would be an Indian. So here what I'm directly referring to is the migration mobility agreement, which we are struggling for the Spanish government to consider."
India has signed the migration mobility agreement with Portugal, the UK, Germany, Italy and Austria.
Furthermore, Verma said, "Austria is supposed to be one of the most difficult countries to deal with on migration issues. So if we can do it with several other countries, I think it's Spain. If you are pushing the Spanish language, then you can't say, all right, we will stop it. Migration doesn't work. It just doesn't land up."
