A meeting organized by the European Council on Foreign Relations to analyze the Spanish and European strategy in the Indo-Pacific
The European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), in collaboration with the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, held a high-level political debate in Madrid entitled "Spain, the EU and Asia-Pacific in a Changing Global Order." The objective was not only to analyze how Spain can implement its strategy in the region, but also to examine what is needed to build lasting influence in the Indo-Pacific.
The meeting was opened by Luis Fonseca, Director General for North America, Eastern Europe, Asia and the Pacific at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Carla Hobbs, Director of the ECFR's Madrid office and Policy Analyst. The day's sessions then took place. The first, entitled "Cooperation in Security and Defense," featured presentations by María Castillo Fernández, EU Special Envoy for the Indo-Pacific; and María Elena Gómez Castro, Ambassador on Special Mission for the Indo-Pacific at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Nanae Baldauff, Senior Research Associate at the NATO Defense College and Research Associate at the United Nations University Institute for Comparative Studies on Regional Integration (UNU-CRIS); and Juan de la Cueva, Director of Business Development at our patron Navantia. Manisha Reuter, Deputy Director of the ECFR Asia Programme, served as moderator.
This session analyzed how Spain and the European Union can contribute to stability in the Indo-Pacific, a strategic area marked by increasing rivalry, maritime frictions, and hybrid threats. It also explored how cyber alliances, defense diplomacy, and the internationalization of the Spanish defense industry can support capability development and strengthen Europe's commitment to security in the region.
The second session, entitled "Economic Security and Strategic Diversification," analyzed how Spain, together with the EU, can forge alliances in the Indo-Pacific that promote shared, sustainable, and secure prosperity, thereby strengthening both Spanish and European resilience while fostering a more balanced interdependence with Asian economies. Participants in this session included Marta Quesada, President of CEOE International; Aitor Montesa Lloreda, Deputy Director of the Unit for South and Southeast Asia at the EU Directorate-General for Trade; and Miguel Otero-Iglesias, Senior Research Fellow at the Elcano Royal Institute. The session was moderated by Andrew Small, Director of the Asia Programme and Senior Policy Research Fellow at the ECFR, who also delivered the closing remarks.
Among those attending the event were trustees of the Spain-Australia Council Foundation, such as José Eugenio Salarich, Director of International Relations at Acciona, the company that holds the FCEA presidency; José Pintor Aguilar, Director General of Casa Asia; and Susana Lapique, Director of Growth and Strategy at Navantia. Representatives from other leading companies and institutions were also present, including Inés Arco, researcher at CIDOB; Eva Borreguero, professor at the Complutense University of Madrid; Miguel Arroyos, Deputy Director of Public Affairs at BBVA; Beatriz de Guindos, Director of Knowledge and Content at ICEX; María Teresa Nonay, Director of Strategy and Planning at Enagás; and Paloma Villa Mateos, Director of Digital Public Policy at Telefónica; among others.
