During an official visit to Dakar, the head of the Spanish government, Pedro Sánchez, and Senegalese president, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, stressed at a joint press conference the importance of deepening bilateral relations in key areas such as the economy, immigration, regional security and the promotion of multilateralism.
Sánchez concluded his two-day official visit to Senegal on Thursday, August 29, with a joint press conference with President Faye.
Together, the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to work together on key issues such as immigration, security and economic development.
The Senegalese leader began by expressing his appreciation for the visit, which he saw as a testament to the bonds of friendship and cooperation between Dakar and Madrid. “Our bilateral relations are based on shared values: a commitment to democracy, the promotion and respect of human rights, and a commitment to world peace and international security,” said President Faye.
In the same vein, Sánchez expressed his gratitude for the warm welcome he received during his visit. “It is a real honor for me to make this official visit to Senegal. It highlights the excellent state of bilateral relations between our two countries,” he said.
He also stressed the importance of the presence of Spanish companies in supporting Senegal’s economic development, adding that “promoting and helping nations to prosper is the best formula for combating inequality and its effects, such as irregular immigration.”
Discussions between the two leaders also focused on the fight against irregular immigration. Bassirou Diomaye Faye expressed his concern over the massive departures of migrants from Senegalese shores to Spain and reiterated his country’s commitment to working with its partners to combat this phenomenon.
“We decided together to explore ways of strengthening cooperation in sectors such as agriculture, vocational and technical training, industrialization and digitalization,” he said.
For his part, Mr. Sánchez stressed the importance of orderly management of migratory flows and praised the excellent cooperation between the two countries in this area.
“We have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on circular migration because it will allow us to expand and improve the existing system, to include new sectors of economic activity and to include training and qualification for Senegalese workers going to Spain,” he explained.
According to him, “recruitment in the country of origin and orderly immigration benefit us all.”
Regional security, particularly the situation in the Sahel, was also a central topic of discussion. President Faye stressed the need for international mobilization to address the security challenges in this strategic region, noting that “the African and European continents are very closely linked in terms of security issues.”
President Sánchez praised Senegal’s leadership in the region and reiterated Spain’s commitment to contribute to the stability and prosperity of the Sahel.
On the international stage, the two presidents shared a common vision on the importance of multilateralism. The Senegalese leader reiterated Dakar’s support for the Spanish initiative in favour of multilateralism, while welcoming Spain’s decision to recognise the state of Palestine.
“We call for an immediate ceasefire and a two-state solution if we want to hope for lasting peace in the region,” he said.
In response, Prime Minister Sánchez expressed his country’s position in favor of peace and respect for international legality. “Peace must prevail, the war must end, and we must call on the international community to organize a peace conference to put an end to this conflict,” he stressed.
Finally, the two leaders agreed on the need to further strengthen bilateral relations. President Sánchez officially invited his counterpart to visit Spain, an invitation accepted by Bassirou Diomaye Faye.
ARD/te/lb/as/APA