The Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, has met this Monday with Pope Leo XIV in the Vatican in an audience not initially foreseen. During the meeting, both parties have addressed issues on the international agenda and have noted coincidences on topics such as conflict resolution, cooperation between States, and the approach to migration.
During the meeting, Albares has highlighted the “great harmony” with the Pope on key issues of the global agenda. That coincidence is especially reflected in the conflict in the Middle East (especially Palestine), where both parties advocate for a solution based on international law and the recognition of the rights of the Palestinian people.
Along the same lines, the minister has underlined the agreement regarding the war in Ukraine, reaffirming the outright rejection of the military path as a solution to conflicts between states. Both the Spanish Government and the Vatican are committed to a diplomatic solution that guarantees stability and respects international legality.
Multilateralism and values as the axis of foreign policy
Beyond the specific conflicts, the meeting has highlighted a firm defense of international cooperation. Albares has insisted that there is full agreement in the defense of multilateralism, understood as the key tool to address global challenges, from wars to migratory crises.
This approach is framed within a broader vision that the Spanish Executive defines as foreign policy with values. In this sense, the meeting has reinforced the idea of a shared approach based on human dignity, especially with regard to migration, thus consolidating the humanist approach to foreign policy that Spain seeks to project on the international stage.
The Pope's visit to Spain, a symbol of this alliance
The future visit of Leo XIV to Spain, with stops in Madrid, Barcelona, and the Canary Islands, will be the next step in this reinforced relationship. One of the most outstanding moments will be his visit to the Sagrada Familia, a place loaded with both religious and cultural symbolism.
The Government has shown its total commitment to making the visit a success, in what is interpreted not only as an institutional event, but as the staging of a political and moral alliance around the great challenges of the 21st century.