Portugal and Spain sign 11 agreements focusing on water

"This summit represents well the strength of our relations, whether bilaterally or multilaterally in the European context and several international organisations", claimed Prime Minister Luís Montenegro in a joint statement with the President of the Spanish Government Pedro Sanchez at the end of the 35th summit between both Governments in Faro.

At the end of the sectoral meetings and the plenary between the Portuguese and Spanish Ministers, 11 "very important [agreements] for the construction of a sustainable future and cooperation between both states" were signed, stated the Prime Minister. A joint statement was also published.

Water and rivers

Luís Montenegro stressed "the main theme, water, a good we share, and it is essential that it is well managed, both in its use for human supply and for economic activities, from agriculture to tourism, which are likewise relevant on both sides of the border".

In this "increasingly more demanding context, where we are dealing with climate change, extreme drought, difficulties in supply", both Governments signed agreements on "maintaining the water flows on the Tagus and Guadiana rivers", and "fisheries, navigation and leisure nautical security on the Guadiana River", «important for Portugal and highly important for the Algarve".

"Picking the Algarve to host this summit" was related to water, "which we’ve given priority to, so we are not confronted with the need to restrict, as happened in the last years, and have sufficient storage capacity so we do not have limitations on its responsible use"; he said.

Mobility

For the Algarve, "it was also important for us to have finally reached the end" of the negotiations" "to build two new bridges between our countries, one over the Sever River in Nisa-Cedillo, and another over the Guadiana River in Alcoutim" he said, stressing "the President of the Spanish Government’s commitment" on "a matter that was deadlocked".

The Prime Minister also noted "rail mobility between Portugal and Spain and between the Peninsula and the resto f Europe. The Heads of Government of Portugal and Spain decided to "write a letter to the Prime Minister of France to conduct the rail connection necessary for the transportation of passengers and freight" between the Peninsula and the rest of Europe.

Energy

In terms of energy, "a task that can no longer wait" was set: "materialising the commitments between Portugal and Spain, France, and the European Commission for energy interconnections, particularly for electricity", he said, adding that "it is inadmissible for us to be discussing the same matters again when they have been taken on in documents that bind the States". 

Neither both Heads of Government will "endeavour to force France and the European Commission" to "meet an intent that is a cornerstone of the Letta and Draghi reports". «For Europe to be a more competitive, open economy with greater environmental concern, which in the case of Portugal of Spain is the acknowledgement of our investment in renewables, we must ensure these interconnections", he underlined.

On innovation, science, education, and culture, "this summit was relevant not just due to the agreements, but the development of ambitious projects, such as the Iberian Energy Storage Research Centre and the Atlantic Constellation and the joint work in the fields of micro-electronics and semiconductors, to which we add the electric vehicle project".

Europe

Luís Montenegro claimed that "we deepened cooperation in the multilateral arena, starting with European affairs: Portugal and Spain converge on many positions which both countries’ Governments have seriously advocated". 

He noted "the importance that the future European Commissioner and Vice-President of the Commission, appointed by Spain will have on the issues of sustainability, the green energy transition, competitive also", and the "high expectation on the Commissioner appointed by Portugal to execute her task in the field of financial services, the capital markets union, savings, and investments".

These two areas "are cornerstones for a more competitive Europe, generating enough wealth for Europe to continue to be a global space where social rights have the greatest expression", he said.

At the summit, "important matters on the European agenda" were discussed, "such as migration, the digital transition, competitiveness, the need to maintain the cohesion policies in the new boost on competitiveness, which are fundamental for Portugal and Spain so they can come closer to the level of development of the various European regions – this is one of the cornerstones of Portugal and Spain’s intervention in the new multiannual financial framework".

Both countries agreed that "Europe has great advantage in strengthening its relations with Mercosul and finally reaching a trade agreement with this region".

Values

Luís Montenegro said both countries are United by "fundamental values in peace-keeping and the guarantee of human rights" and both reiterated "their permanent and unequivocal commitment to supporting Ukraine", the "need to have an immediate cease-fire in Lebanon and Gaza" and are "attentive of the elections and upholding the people’s will in Venezuela".

Portugal and Spain will be "together at the G-20 meeting and on the front line of those who attribute the south importance in global politics", referring particularly to North Africa and the Sahel.

The Prime Minister also said that this summit is being held "50 years after our democratic transitions, almost 40 years after the start of regular meetings between our two Governments, and a few months away from celebrating the signing of the treaties to join the then European Economic Community, now European Union".

On the Portuguese part, the Ministers of State of Foreign Affairs, the Presidency, in the Cabinet of the Prime Minister and Territorial Cohesion, Parliamentary Affairs, Education, Science and Innovation, Home Affairs, Infrastructure and Housing, Economy, Labour, Solidarity and Social Security, Environment and Energy, Agriculture and Fisheries, and Culture were in attendance.

On the Spanish side, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory, Education, Vocational training, and Sport, and the spokesperson for the Government, Home Affairs, Transports and Sustainable Mobility, Industry and Tourism, Second Vice-President of the Government, the Minister of Labour and Social Economy, Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, the Third Vice-President and Minister of the Climate Transition and the Demographic Challenge, Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food, and Culture.