Sánchez seeks to strengthen the relationship with Biden a year after the 30-second meeting

The President of the Government will try to stage his harmony with the US president in Moncloa

MADRID, 28 Jun. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, will finally receive this Tuesday at the Moncloa Palace the President of the United States, Joe Biden, with his sights set on staging what the Executive has made an effort to ensure is a solid bilateral relationship after the failed encounter from a year ago that remained in a brief chat of just 30 seconds.

The framework, as then, will be the same again, the NATO summit, but if then Sánchez had to content himself with a brief exchange of impressions with Biden while both walked towards the meeting room after the family photo of the allied leaders in Brussels, now both will hold a proper bilateral meeting.

The US president travels to Madrid on the occasion of the NATO summit, an occasion that Moncloa and the White House have taken advantage of to close the meeting. Biden, who will be received at the Torrejón de Ardoz air base (Madrid) by King Felipe VI, will also hold a meeting with the monarch at the Royal Palace, prior to the dinner that the King and Queen will offer to all the leaders attending the summit. .

However, after the failed meeting in Brussels a year ago, which Moncloa had anticipated to the press and which finally did not have the look that the Government expected, although an attempt was made to reduce what happened, the meeting between the two presidents was not confirmed until Thursday past, when the US president's agenda was already well tied, to avoid surprises.

All in all, the long-awaited photo and the meeting between Sánchez and Biden will serve to stage a relationship that is strategic for the Government and that Washington has also been responsible for extolling throughout this time, denying problems with the coalition made up of PSOE and United We Can, even at a time when criticism of the United States and NATO in particular has intensified from the minor partner.

Sánchez did not speak with Biden until the two met at the Alliance summit in Brussels last June, despite the fact that the Democrat arrived at the White House on January 20 and that in the following weeks he spoke by phone with dozens of international leaders. So, from Moncloa it was argued that there were contacts at all levels and there was no problem.

The capture of Afghanistan by the Taliban in August 2021 was the occasion to demonstrate the strength of the relationship: Biden telephoned Sánchez to ask him to use the Morón and Rota bases for the evacuation of Afghans who had worked for the last two decades for the United States. The answer was affirmative and Washington took it upon itself to thank the Spanish cooperation on several occasions, which allowed the evacuation flights to stop at the Spanish bases.

The president met Biden again in October, on the occasion of the G-20 summit, where they were once again able to exchange brief impressions, and in March on the occasion of the extraordinary summit of NATO leaders to discuss the Russian invasion of Ukraine , although then there was no contact between the two.

The US president called Sánchez on June 21 to talk about the NATO summit and to thank the Spanish Government for the preparations for this meeting, from which the new Strategic Concept will emerge that includes the threats faced by the Alliance and strategies to confront them over the next decade.

In addition, the President of the Government has participated in several summits organized by Biden since his arrival at the White House on different topics such as the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change or democracy.

The meeting's agenda will surely be marked by the NATO summit, but also by the conflict in Ukraine and the Russian threat. Spain and the United States are in sync on this issue and have imposed similar sanctions against Russia and its leaders, whom they hold responsible for the "illegal and unjustified" invasion.

The White House has announced that the meeting will serve to "continue coordinating and supporting Ukraine and to hold Russia accountable" for the invasion, as well as to discuss defense cooperation, both bilaterally and within the The alliance.

It is also to be expected, given the Spanish government's interest in NATO looking towards the southern flank and the threats that come from it, in particular from the Sahel, that the issue sneaks into the meeting. In this sense, it is worth remembering the good relationship that the United States maintains with Morocco, a fundamental partner in the fight against terrorism in the region, now within the framework of the new stage initiated between Rabat and Madrid.

As usual, the meeting will also serve to review bilateral relations in all areas, with special interest in the current economic situation. The United States is already the main supplier of natural gas to Spain after unseating Algeria in recent months, a country with which the bilateral relationship is currently going through a deep crisis due to the government's support for the Moroccan autonomy plan for the Sahara.

According to the White House, Biden and Sánchez will also talk about "the promotion of shared values ​​and economic prosperity in Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa" ​​in addition to the need to collaborate to face global challenges such as climate change or health security. .

On the other hand, Sánchez has repeatedly claimed his harmony with Biden, whose progressive agenda he has extolled. Last week, after the historic ruling of the United States Supreme Court annulling the right to abortion in the country, the President of the Government criticized the ruling, as did the US president.

"We cannot take any right for granted. Social achievements are always at risk of going backwards and their defense has to be our day-to-day," claimed Sánchez, who, like the US president, has also supported greater arms control in the United States. United, in the face of continued killings.