H.E. Mr. Ion de la Riva:

I thank the Deputy for his good wishes. It would be very arrogant to pretend we do not need good luck. We certainly need it. These are very volatile times and we have all read about the differences of opinions in different European countries when it comes to refugees, asylum seekers and migrants. As for black swans and the sustainable Presidency, I also think this is one of the priorities. I have quoted some of the aspects in which we think sustainability is essential and we have to be at the forefront of the fight against climate change. There are a number of technical aspects in this regard, with plastics and emissions, that are fundamental for all of us in the Fit for 55 programme.

To answer the question about the snap elections, it is essential to keep in mind that Spain has no Eurosceptic parties - not in the far right or in the far left and of course not in the bipartisan main parties. I did not want to read every piece of information I have here as to how well prepared we have been for this Presidency for the last two years. We have really done our homework very well but the Opposition has done so too. It would be foolish not to mention that it already has a sort of shadow Cabinet European Presidency committee on which our former minister for foreign affairs, José García-Margallo, sits, as well as the former ambassador to Ireland, Ildefonso Castro. We have very prominent diplomats and political strategists from the Opposition parties in case they should win and govern. They are already also doing a lot of things to be prepared for that eventuality should it happen. We do not consider that a black swan. We consider that part of our democracy and we are very proud to know that both main political parties have been very well prepared for the Presidency and they know that Spain is behind them.

Although there are political differences, Europe is never a controversy in Spain. This committee knows Spain very well. I am very proud to say that many Irish people - almost 3 million - choose Spain for their holidays every year and some of them buy houses there. Members will be very aware that Spain is one of the more pro-Europe countries. In this case, it is a blessing that we should have snap elections because it would be an agony for a government to have to wait until the end of the year to hold elections. The quicker this is done, the better for all of us. That is less than 23 days from today; 23 minus five. Whatever the result of those elections, the Deputy can rest assured that both main political parties already have a machinery in place and have been co-operating. I mentioned that this is not just a bipartisan issue. It also includes all kinds of parties, from parties that promote independence for Catalonia to parties that are on the far right or far left. None of them have ever questioned the priorities of the Presidency and the fact that Europe is essential for Spain because it is in our history. It is almost in our DNA to think that a better Europe and a stronger Europe is beneficial for Spain.

The Deputy mentioned Latin America. We think Latin America should be a priority for all of us. Again, we should keep the China factor in mind. If Europe leaves a vacuum, it is going to be filled by someone. We already see a number of very worrying moves internationally. That is why I referred to the new international architecture. We do not think transatlantic relations should just be left to NATO or to individual countries that, like Ireland, have an excellent relationship with the US or Canada, which we have too. We think transatlantic really means transatlantic and it should go from Canada to Chile, not just because of commodities or because they are essential for climate change but because also of values, which the Deputy talked about. Some 90% of these countries share our values. We all know the results of colonialism and the negative factors but one of the good factors is that these countries have as a reference democratic values from the old world, from this Continent. They have been at the forefront of the fight for democracy, whether in Argentina, Brazil or Chile. We all know the stories. It is 50 years since the coup d'étatin Chile. These are very democratic, very dynamic societies and they should be our partners and our allies.

Therefore, the summit on 17 and 18 July will include alliances and things like digital technology, climate change and also a very interesting entrepreneurial forum to promote investment and trade between our regions. Taking the Mercosur agreement, for example, the Irish Government commissioned a report that showed the Mercosur deal could boost Irish exports by over €1 billion. This is the Irish Government's commissioned report by a Danish consultancy. This was two years ago. There is a lot to gain, not just economically, from encompassing Latin America.

It was shown with the UN resolutions against the criminal invasion of Ukraine that we need the support of the global south. From the perspective of the countries in the south, a war here could be regarded only as a small regional episode. We have now been confronted with the fact that we may risk becoming increasingly alone unless we get countries on board. The Latin American summit is essential for us because we need allies. We also need to diversify our sources of commodities and products. Therefore, there is every reason to make Latin America an important target in geopolitical strategies.

As for migration, the Deputy wished us well. I thank Ireland for its good wishes. It is a very pragmatic country and has shown its generosity when it comes to Ukraine. There are many displaced Ukrainian people in Ireland because of the war. We really thank Ireland for the strong support it is giving to these people. Ireland is quite solidarian when it comes to the question of migrants. We need the migrants but, above all, we need to stop the mafias – the network of human traffickers and smugglers whose recurring abominable actions leave people stranded to their fate, in some cases to end in dramas.

When it comes to de-risking, the Deputy mentioned China and human rights. One of the good things about having the partnership with China, which does not exclude our rivalry in trade and many other aspects, is that it allows us to address human rights. It is essential to keep in mind that the Chinese have accepted having the dialogue on human rights. Our prime minister spoke to the Taoiseach when he was here about having good relations with countries on the questions of migration and asylum. It is essential to have good relationships with Northern African countries, which may not just be sending their own populations in despair to Europe because, as was shown in some of the tragedies, people come from very far away, including the Horn of Africa or Sudan, because of war. There can also be climate refugees and, therefore, it is essential to have good relations with the countries in question. This includes China when it comes to talking about human rights and the need to keep the status quoin the Chinese seas. Not doing so could affect Taiwan, and we do not need another episode of tension with another superpower. On this question, Europe does not stand alone, thank God. We are defending human rights and our political model obliges us to do so. The Chinese are very much aware of the political need for Europe to discuss with it progress on human rights. Of course, that subject is not excluded. I am very happy to confirm that human rights are regarded as fundamental by the current Spanish Government, just as it is fundamental to keep our military and economic alliances so our citizens are safe and protected. If we are protecting our own citizens, we should be aware of the humanitarian need to protect individual rights and human rights elsewhere. This is a matter of concern in respect of many of the partners with which we are embarking under the new architecture, be they in places in Latin America where respect for human rights is not fully in place, in Africa, or, naturally, in China, which has a record that could be manifestly improved.