News

The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, presented the ‘Spain-Africa Strategy 2025-2028. Working together through a strategic relationship’, with the participation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares.

The event was attended by the President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, Mohamed Cheik El Ghazouani, the President of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, the President of the Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Omar Alieu Touray, and the Minister of Economy, Abdourrahmane Sarr, representing the Prime Minister, as well as members of the African and European diplomatic corps accredited in Spain, other members of the Spanish Government and representatives of academia, business and civil society with links to the African continent.

For the President of the Government, ‘Africa is the future that is already here’. At a time when it is necessary to adapt to the new African reality, when its stability and progress have become strategic interests for Spain, the Government presents the Spain-Africa Strategy 2025-2028, with the main objective of strengthening relations with the continent, which is undergoing a period of economic, political and social transformation, and which is increasingly playing a greater role in the international community and is more aware of its weight. ‘Spain wants to begin a new era in its relations with Africa. On an equal footing’, Pedro Sánchez stressed.

Along these lines, the new Spain-Africa Strategy aims to guide Spain's action on the African continent and is based on the principle of partnership and mutual respect and benefit, listening to African partners, and with an emphasis on multilateralism. The President of the Government stressed that the Strategy presents a renewed approach to the African continent, which is based on respect among equals and seeks to generate mutually beneficial synergies, recognising African countries as strategic partners, with the capacity for leadership and a leading role of their own.

Pedro Sánchez has outlined the five main strategic objectives of the new Strategy, which include: strengthening a Spanish-African relationship that consolidates and deepens knowledge and reciprocal dialogue and facilitates joint action; growing, through inclusive and sustainable African development favoured by the involvement of Spanish, European and international institutions, companies and organisations, but above all the involvement of young people; connecting, with closer links between the societies and economies of Africa, Spain and the world; protecting, through cooperation to strengthen capacities in the areas of justice and security; and living together, with open African societies and solid and inclusive institutions.

‘The one hundred measures included in the Strategy include the creation of new collaboration instruments and the strengthening of existing ones; deepening our dialogue and our knowledge of the African reality, multiplying the channels for knowledge exchange and the creation of capacity and employment; and the activation of the know-how of our companies, institutions and organisations to contribute to the productive, energy and connectivity challenges that Africa will have to overcome, and will be able to overcome with the collaboration of partners such as Spain’, according to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares.

The President of the Government stressed that the strategy is an instrument for strengthening relations between Africa and Spain in a world of extreme complexity and shared challenges. ‘But it is also a declaration of intent. Today we are taking a new step to consolidate this alliance in search of a richer, more sustainable and, above all, fairer future’.

The Spain-Africa Strategy 2025-2028, designed with continental scope

One of the main aspects of the Strategy is that, for the first time, it has been designed with a continental dimension, which does not distinguish between categories of countries or establish priority partners, while at the same time paying special attention to our immediate neighbourhood: North Africa, West Africa and the Sahel, without being limited to Sub-Saharan Africa, as was reflected in previous Africa Plans.

An example of Spain's commitment to the development, stability and transformation of the African continent is the recent tour that the President of the Government made to Mauritania, Gambia and Senegal, in which Sánchez highlighted the creation of this Strategy and its spirit of participation, openness and harmony with the objectives set by the African continent.

In this regard, within the 100 lines of action envisaged in the Strategy, Sánchez announced that Spain will increase its diplomatic deployment in the region, reinforcing the network of embassies and consulates and boosting the activity of Casa África, Casa Árabe and Casa del Mediterráneo. He also announced that an Advisory Council will be created to improve the coordination of the Government's action on the continent.

The President of the Government referred to the second axis of the Strategy: growth with an inclusive and sustainable vision. In this regard, he highlighted the launch of initiatives such as the ‘Africa Avanza Alliance’, presented in Senegal, aimed at promoting Spanish investment and generating quality jobs in West Africa, which will have a permanent secretariat in this country.

Pedro Sánchez also emphasised the importance of taking advantage of migration as a force for economic and social transformation, in reference to the third axis: connecting. He announced that in the next quarter Spain will launch a Labour Mobility strategy, which aims to establish a migration model that benefits both the countries of origin and the migrants and destination countries, generating legal and safe channels that strengthen training systems in African countries. To this end, the President of the Government explained that collaboration networks between universities and research centres will be promoted. And we will increase resources for learning Spanish with a greater presence of the Cervantes Institute on the African continent.

The President of the Government also referred to the fourth pillar: protecting. In this regard, he stressed that Spain will maintain and strengthen its support for States and regional organisations to maintain peace and security, strengthening collaboration in the fight against terrorism, radicalisation, organised crime and illicit trafficking.

Sánchez stressed that, beyond these challenges, African countries, like the rest of the world, face climate and environmental threats, and emphasised that protecting also means cooperating in comprehensive security, which not only protects physically, but also guarantees essential rights such as health, education and nutrition for all.

‘Together with our African partners, we will work to address the roots of insecurity, promoting inclusive development, social justice and environmental sustainability,’ stressed the President of the Government.

Pedro Sánchez stressed that, to this end, Spain will continue to support the strengthening of democracy, the rule of law and human rights in Africa, in reference to the fifth axis, living together. In this regard, the President of the Government stressed that Spain will support African civil society, promoting participation, especially of women and vulnerable groups, in order to fight discrimination.

Spain, a greater role in the European Union's policy towards Africa

Another of the distinctive elements of this Spain-Africa Strategy is that Spain presents itself as a Member State of the European Union willing to assume a greater role in the orientation and execution of EU policy towards Africa, as well as to make greater use of European policy instruments in support of development and strategic objectives on the continent, as agreed with African partners.

Spain and the European Union consider Africa as a geopolitical priority in its condition as the closest neighbouring continent with which there are shared historical, economic and cultural ties. In this sense, and given the demographic weight and geographical extension of the continent, Spain needs an EU that is present and strengthened in Africa, also because it implements several of its projects with European funds.

For this reason, the President of the Government emphasised taking advantage of the investment opportunities offered by the Global Gateway initiative for projects in Africa in order to carry out strategic projects that respond to the needs of African partners. He also highlighted the opportunity presented by the IV International Conference on Financing for Development, which will be held in Seville, and which will allow progress to be made on new models of financing for development and debt relief.

Youth, key role in the Spain-Africa Strategy 2025-2028

The Strategy also reviews the opportunities presented by the continent, both for its own population and for the world and Spain. For this reason, youth plays a leading role in the transformation of the African continent, since the demographic factor constitutes a great opportunity for economic growth, progress and development in Africa. The President of the Government stressed that youth is a unique force for the continent and also for a rapidly ageing world. ‘It is a challenge, but also an opportunity’.

In this sense, the lines of action will be to reinforce work on inclusive development, with the emphasis on creating opportunities for youth, especially women, as well as greater training for young people to access decent work. Pedro Sánchez stressed that Spain will create a foundation for the generation of academic opportunities for African youth, with scholarships and exchange programmes.

‘Because the history and future of Africa is no longer written by others, but by Africans themselves. And Spain wants to be part of that writing, as a brother country of our neighbouring continent,’ concluded the President of the Government.