Spain To Launch New Strategy For Its Relations With Africa

Spain Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez on Wednesday said that Spain will launch a new strategy for its relations with Africa in the coming weeks, with West Africa and the Sahel.

Sánchez is currently in Senegal as part of a three-day tour of West Africa to tackle irregular migration. The Spanish Prime Minister began his tour in Mauritania on Tuesday where he announced that Spain will expand its circular migration program to Mauritanians and renew cooperation between the two nations’ security forces to combat people smuggling and trafficking networks.

He continued his tour going south to Gambia on Wednesday and is expected to meet with Senegal’s president and prime minister on Thursday.

Sanchez said during a conference in Senegal that he was a "strong advocate" for migration but also stressed that "security is a top priority."

"Regular migration. I am a strong advocate of it. It opens avenues for prosperity, for economic and cultural development. It is good for both the country of origin and the host country," said Sanchez.

"We are living in a complex context. We are all aware of this, marked by the growing pressure of outflows along the Atlantic Route. And in this scenario, I insist that my government and Spain are committed to the continuity and strengthening of our bilateral relations," he added.