Albares travels to Iceland to reaffirm strong bilateral relations with the country

• During his visit to Reykjavik, the Minister will meet with the highest Icelandic authorities

• Together with his counterpart, Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, several cooperation agreements will be signed

• The strengthening of relations takes place in the context of Iceland's closer alignment with the European Union

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, travels to Iceland this Monday with the aim of reaffirming and strengthening bilateral relations with a country with which Spain shares a close alignment ​on the international political agenda, as well as a common vision regarding the importance of international law and the defence of a rules-based international order.

Bilateral relations between Spain and Iceland are currently enjoying a particularly strong period, bolstered by the opening of the Embassy of Iceland in Madrid in December of last year.

One in four Icelanders visits Spain for tourism every year, and our country is a key partner for Iceland in the shipbuilding industry, aviation security, and renewable energy. In this regard, this visit offers an opportunity to explore greater collaboration between companies from both countries in these sectors and in the so-called blue economy.

During the meeting with his counterpart, the ministers will sign four cooperation agreements: on political consultations, diplomatic training, gender equality and scientific cooperation.

Furthermore, they will promote the education cooperation agreement signed in 2023 to increase the presence of the Spanish language in the country.

Also noteworthy is the cooperation in security and defence within the framework of NATO, as well as the shared concern regarding issues such as cybersecurity and the protection of critical infrastructure. In this area, the Minister will reaffirm Spain's commitment to a 360-degree approach to security, including the Arctic, as demonstr​ated in August 2025 with the Stinga detachment at the Keflavík Air Base-comprising six F-18 fighter jets and 122 Spanish military personnel-deployed as part of a NATO air policing operation. The trip's agenda also includes a visit to this Alliance air base.

Following the bilateral meeting with his Icelandic counterpart, the two ministers will participate in the colloquium "Partners at the Edges of Europe: Iceland and Spain" at the University of Iceland.

The trip also includes a visit to the Althingi, the Parliament of Iceland-one of the oldest in the world-where the Minister will meet with its President and several members of the Foreign Affairs Committee. A courtesy meeting with the Prime Minister of Iceland is also scheduled.

Additionally, the agenda features a visit to Thingvellir National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site, which is the cradle of one of the world's oldest parliaments and the location where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates separate.

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