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Spain rejected the declarations of the president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, about “a pause” in relations with the European country and its companies.
“We have just issued an official statement in which The Government of Spain categorically rejects the unjustified statements made by the President of Mexico in recent days, both yesterday and today, where he has talked about Spain and Spanish companies again”, said the Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, in an interview.
In Brussels , after holding various meetings at the headquarters of the European Commission, the Spanish minister said that “it must be very clear that the Government of Spain is going to defend the Spanish, the good name of Spain and its companies in any circumstance and before anyone”.
“The Government of Spain has not carried out any action that leads to making a declaration of this type”, emphasized Albares.
The head of Spanish diplomacy stressed that relations between Spain and Mexico “are based on very deep human, cultural, linguistic, historical, economic ties”, and recalled that Spain is the second largest investor in Mexico and that Mexican investment in Spain “already reaches 10,000 millions of euros”.
“There are thousands, literally thousands of Spanish companies in Mexico and there are more and more Mexican companies in Spain”, he stressed.
Considered that the increase in trade relations and investment between the two countries, “which has not stopped growing every year for a long time”, as well as “the desires of two brother towns”, they ask that Spain work “for excellent relations with Mexico but, yes,based on respect and, of course, without this type of demonstration”.
Albares stated that on Wednesday night he already spoke with his counterpart Mexican, Marcelo Ebrard, about the situation and that, in any case, López Obrador today “has made it clear” that “that word ‘pause’ certainly does not lead to any type of rupture”.
“All those kinds of bonds… but if we look the economic ones, since there was a lot of talk about Spanish companies, what they indicate is that what governments must do is strengthen these relationships , in no case pause them, (but) accompany them”, he pointed out.
At the same time, Albares said that “no one should be fooled” and that the Government of Spain “will always and against anyone defend the interests of the Spaniards, of their companies and the honorability of Spain”.
“Because Spain will always support Mexico as it supports all the sister countries of Latin America in the European Union”, he asserted.
In the statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of Spain, states that:
“The government of Spain categorically rejects the disqualifications made by the President of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, in recent days against Spain and Spanish companies.
Spain and Mexico are strategic partners and we are united by deep human, cultural, historical, linguistic and economic ties. More of 175,000 Spaniards live in Mexico and near 30,000 Mexicans reside in our country. Spain is the second investor in Mexico and has 7,000 companies in that country. Spanish investment rises above 30,000 million euros and the Mexican in Spain exceeds 25,000 millions.
Spain will always work to maintain the best relations with Mexico and strengthen ties with this sister nation . The Government wants relations based on mutual respect, as the Spaniards and Mexicans want, without this type of demonstration,” the statement concludes.
This Thursday 10 February, the president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador , during his morning conference, clarified that “there is no break” with Spain after his declarations to take a “pause” in relations.
“What I said yesterday is “we are going for the good of our peoples, to have a break”. I didn’t talk about breaking up. No. I said “let’s calm down the relationship”, that you no longer be thinking about that Mexico is going to be looted with impunity, that’s already happened, it’s disrespectful,” he said.
” It is not a rupture of relations and it is not against the Spanish people, it is nothing more than a respectful protest, fraternal, for the abuses and offenses committed in against the people of Mexico and our country”, he specified.
With information from Efe.
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