Saudi Crown Prince, Deputy Premier and Minister of Defense His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud met in Madrid Thursday with Spanish Minister of Defense of Maria Dolores de Cospedal.
They reviewed bilateral relations and cooperation, mainly in the defense and military field, as well as the promising opportunities to transfer and localize technology in line with Saudi Vision 2030. They also discussed the latest developments in the Middle East and the world and the efforts exerted mainly in fighting terrorism and extremism, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
King Felipe VI of the Kingdom of Spain has also received at his palace in Madrid the Saudi Crown Prince.
During the meeting, they exchanged cordial talks on Saudi-Spanish historical relations and friendly ties between the two countries and their peoples.
HRH the Crown Prince and Spain’s Prime Minister also affirmed the strong partnership between the two countries, which will be the main mechanism for further progress in all aspects of bilateral relationship.
Spain is the fourth largest arms trading partner of Saudi Arabia, just after the United States, Great Britain, and France. Between 2015 and 2017, Spain exported over US$900 million (728 million Euros) worth of military equipment to Saudi Arabia.
A joint statement was issued by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Kingdom of Spain who expressed its strong support for the Saudi Vision 2030, while the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia welcomed Spain as an important partner in implementing this vision that aims at diversifying economy and unleashing the potential of the Saudi society.
Spain praised the ongoing reforms in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which opened new horizons and opportunities for the Saudi people.
Several agreements and Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) were signed with the aim of developing bilateral cooperation in many fields, including air transport, culture, labor, social development, science, technology and defense.
The two sides stressed the importance of cooperation and political dialogue between the two countries on international and regional issues. They also stressed the importance of enhancing security and development in the Sahel in addition to finding a peaceful solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in accordance with relevant United Nations resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.
