Spain and Portugal strengthen bilateral cooperation in the face of global challenges and seal the Climate Security Alliance

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, reaffirmed his commitment to peace, multilateralism, and European security, emphasising that "friendship and close collaboration between neighbouring and brotherly countries is the best way to improve the lives of our citizens."

La Rábida, Huelva

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, and the Prime Minister of Portugal, Luís Montenegro, greet each other (Pool Moncloa/Borja Puig de la Bellacasa)

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, and the Prime Minister of Portugal, Luís Montenegro, presided over the 36th Spanish-Portuguese Summit, a meeting in which the two countries promoted new cooperation initiatives and analysed the main international, European, and climate challenges.

During his address, President Sánchez highlighted that Spain and Portugal, "two friendly, neighbouring, and brotherly countries," are meeting again to emphasise that close collaboration between neighbouring countries is the best way to improve the lives of their citizens. Furthermore, given the international context marked by uncertainty surrounding the escalating conflict in the Middle East, the President reiterated Spain's position in favour of peace, multilateralism, and global trade, as well as its commitment to the transatlantic bond shared by Spaniards and Portuguese.

President Sánchez advocated for "an Atlanticism where international law and rules are a backbone, and cooperation-not confrontation-is the way forward."

Climate Security Alliance

One of the Summit's main focuses was strengthening cooperation on climate change, a challenge that particularly affects the Iberian Peninsula and must be addressed jointly. President Sánchez stressed that climate change is a challenge that affects both countries, recalling that 2025 was the year with the highest number of hectares burned by wildfires in Europe since records began, with more than one million hectares affected in the European Union and more than half of them on the Iberian Peninsula. He also pointed to the recent historic floods caused by a series of storms, particularly severe in Portugal.

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, the Portuguese Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, and the Spanish and Portuguese delegations, on the outer esplanade of the Monastery of Santa María de la Rábida| Pool Moncloa / Borja Puig de la Bellacasa

Given this reality, Pedro Sánchez stated that "Spain and Portugal are united by these challenges. They call upon us to work together, because we know it is the best way to solve them." The president announced that both countries have agreed to establish an Climate Security Alliance, sign a Joint Declaration on the Climate Emergency, and strengthen cooperation in civil protection and emergency management. Within this framework, the two countries have also decided to strengthen cooperation between their space agencies through the Atlantic Constellation, a project comprised of 16 Earth observation satellites that will improve the prevention of extreme weather events such as floods, fires, and heat waves.

A more competitive Europe

Spain and Portugal are celebrating the 40th anniversary of their accession to the European Communities this year, a milestone that symbolises both countries' shared path toward democracy and European integration. "Both countries will continue to build Europe together," Pedro Sánchez affirmed.

In this respect, he underlined the need to improve the European Union's competitiveness based on three pillars: sustainability and decarbonisation, increased investment in innovation, and linking cohesion to competitiveness. With regard to the latter, Pedro Sánchez highlighted the contributions of both Spain and Portugal to the negotiation of the Multiannual Financial Framework in this direction. "Clearly, there can be no competitiveness without cohesion and no cohesion without competitiveness. To this end, he advocated for defending the policy of social and territorial cohesion and adequately funding key policies such as the Common Agricultural Policy and housing policies.

In terms of investment in innovation and technological development, the president highlighted that Spain and Portugal will strengthen the scientific capabilities of the Iberian Research Centre for Energy Storage and coordinate their bids for the development of a European Gigafactory for Artificial Intelligence.

Europe open to the world

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, and the Portuguese Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, during the meeting they held in the Chapter Room of the Monastery of Santa María de la Rábida| Pool Moncloa / Borja Puig de la Bellacasa

Pedro Sánchez underscored Spain and Portugal's commitment to an open Europe capable of cooperating with other regions of the world. In this regard, he recalled that both countries have played a key role in bringing Europe and Latin America closer together, a task that will continue with the upcoming Ibero-American Summit in Madrid on 4 and 5 November.

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• Government of Spain
• Climate change
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