His trip to Spain was a sign that relations were very good, stressed Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz at a joint press briefing after meeting Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in Madrid on Monday. “Germany and Spain are close friends,” said Scholz. 

Ukrainian-Russian border: the situation is “very, very serious”

The crises in neighbouring European countries were also a topic of discussion, in particular the situation on the Ukrainian-Russian border: this was worrying and “very, very serious”, said Federal Chancellor Scholz. Russia was expected to take “clear steps” to de-escalate the situation.

Scholz said: “Military aggression against Ukraine would have serious political and economic consequences.” Right now it was important to do everything possible to avoid any such development occurring, he added, since all parties would ultimately suffer. Forums for talks such as the NATO-Russia Council and the Normandy format could contribute to de-escalation, said Scholz, and Spain would be working together with Germany to move ahead along this path.

Government consultations planned

Germany and Spain had also agreed to hold government consultations soon so as to further deepen bilateral relations, said Scholz. Teams in both countries were working in the background to ensure that such consultations could take place “swiftly, promptly and effectively”, Scholz continued.

Values-based global governance

Spain and Germany were united by the goal of a sovereign Europe and values-based global governance, said Scholz, adding that the two countries would dedicate all their efforts to preserving European sovereignty. Economic recovery was a key element here, as was climate protection and European security policy, he said. “I am glad we can always count on Spain,” Scholz re-affirmed. In this connection, he noted that Spain would be hosting this year’s NATO summit.

Ecological transformation – an urgent issue

The two leaders had also talked about the ecological transformation, said Scholz: both countries had great ambitions when it came to the expansion of renewable energies. The goal was to build up a sound network of connections throughout Europe to promote the use of renewable energies, said the Federal Chancellor.