New Delhi, Jan 21 (IANS) External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar on Wednesday stressed the need for closer collaboration between India and Spain on shared challenges, particularly in combating terrorism, amid a shift in the global order. 

In his opening remarks at a meeting with Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares in New Delhi, the EAM said, "The world order is clearly undergoing a profound change. It is more imperative than ever before for nations to collaborate on shared challenges. This is particularly the case with respect to combating terrorism, where both India and Spain have been victims. The world must display zero tolerance towards terrorism.”

EAM Jaishankar emphasised that both nations enjoy warm and friendly relations rooted in shared democratic values and respect for multilateralism and a rule-based order.

He also noted that this year, both India and Spain will mark the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.

“Our political engagement has grown steadily, marked by regular high-level exchanges. India and Spain will celebrate in 2026, this year, the 70th anniversary of the establishment of our diplomatic relations, as well as the dual Year of Culture tourism and artificial intelligence. This initiative reflects our shared commitment to combine our rich cultural heritage with future-oriented cooperation,” the EAM mentioned.

Highlighting that India will host the AI Impact Summit next month, EAM Jaishankar said that the country’s approach to AI is human-centric, inclusive, and focused on responsible and ethical use -- an outlook he said closely aligns with Europe.

The EAM further noted that economic partnership is an important pillar of the bilateral relationship.

“Spain is among India's important trade partners in the EU, and our bilateral trade and goods have crossed US $ 8 billion in recent years. Spanish companies have made a significant presence in India, particularly in infrastructure, renewable energy, urban mobility engineering, water management and smart cities. Indian companies are also active in Spain in IT, pharmaceuticals, and automotive components. We see considerable potential to deepen this business cooperation,” he added.

Emphasising the growing defence cooperation between the two nations, EAM Jaishankar said, “We are expecting the first Made in India C295 aircraft to roll out of the factory before September this year. It reflects the growing depth of our defence industrial collaboration and our commitment to building resilient manufacturing capabilities,”

He stated that the bilateral partnership is enriched by strong cultural ties, pointing to the popularity of yoga, Ayurveda and Indian culture in Spain, as well as the growing interest in the Spanish language and culture in India, reflecting the deep people-to-people connections.

“Tourism is also an important and growing pillar of our partnership. People to People links serve as a living bridge between India and Spain. We are committed to facilitating greater mobility, education, exchanges and institutional partnerships,” the EAM added.