Robles, sure that Congress will approve "by sense of State" the increase in US destroyers in Rota

MADRID, 29 Jun. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles, is convinced that the Congress of Deputies will give its approval to the expansion of the United States military presence at the Rota naval base (Cádiz) because it is "a State policy" .

This has been assured to journalists at Ifema shortly before the NATO Summit officially begins and after the president of the United States, Joe Biden, and the head of the Spanish Executive, Pedro Sánchez, agreed on this increase in troops in Rota in the bilateral meeting they held this Tuesday at the Palacio de la Moncloa.

The United States has decided to send two more destroyers to Rota, which will be added to the four that have already been permanently established there since 2014 and 2015, which Robles has argued is positive for dealing with threats and as a deterrence policy. .

In addition, he recalled that this will mean an increase in jobs, since, for example, the maintenance of destroyers is contracted to Spanish companies, as also stressed by the Chief of the Defense Staff (JEMAD), Admiral General Teodoro López Calderon.

For all these reasons, Robles has "no doubt" that the reform of the defense agreement with the United States will pass the parliamentary process. "It is good for the security not only of the members of the Alliance but also for security in the world, we are convinced that this is a state policy with capital letters", he claimed.

The agreement has been brewing for months and was practically closed during the visit made by the Minister of Defense to the Pentagon last May to meet with the US Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, according to military sources.

In fact, the intention of the United States to increase its naval presence in Rota was already advanced during the Administration of Donald Trump, although it has not been formalized until now.