India and Spain held the 8th round of Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) in New Delhi on Thursday, reaffirming their commitment to deepening cooperation across political, economic, technological, and cultural sectors.
The Indian side was led by Sibi George, Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs, while Spain was represented by Diego Martinez Belio, Secretary of State for Foreign and Global Affairs. Both delegations reviewed ongoing collaborations and explored new avenues to enhance the strategic partnership.
A major focus of the talks was the progress of the ‘Make in India’ C-295 transport aircraft programme, jointly executed by Airbus and Tata Advanced Systems. Officials confirmed that the first aircraft from the Vadodara final assembly line is expected to roll out next year, marking a significant step in India’s indigenous aerospace manufacturing push.
The two nations agreed to celebrate 2026 as the ‘India–Spain Year of Culture, Tourism, and Artificial Intelligence’, commemorating 70 years of diplomatic ties. The initiative aims to boost collaboration in cultural exchanges, tourism, and emerging digital technologies.
Tourism continues to be a strong pillar of engagement, with Spain attracting nearly 250,000 Indian visitors annually, while over 80,000 Spanish nationals travel to India each year.
Strategic issues and multilateral coordination were also discussed. Both sides reiterated support for strengthening the India–EU strategic partnership and exchanged views on global challenges including terrorism, security, and sustainable development. India reiterated its zero-tolerance policy toward terrorism and thanked Spain for supporting its candidature as an Associate Observer in the Ibero-American Conference.
The consultations highlighted sustained diplomatic momentum following Spanish President Pedro Sánchez’s visit to India in October 2024 and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s visit to Madrid in January 2025.
Defence cooperation, science and technology collaboration, film co-production, sustainable urban development, and innovation partnerships were identified as priority areas for continued engagement. Both sides agreed on the importance of regular institutional dialogues to build resilient and future-focused ties.
The meeting concluded with an agreement to convene the next round of consultations in Spain at a mutually convenient date, underscoring the steady expansion of India–Spain relations in a rapidly evolving global landscape.
