The Spanish defense industry cannot be left out of the meetings organized by the Atlantic Alliance to increase the production of arms in the allied countries and as long as the Spanish companies are not available, the Government of Pedro Sánchez will veto the weapons production plan that NATO is working on and that allied leaders must approve at the Vilnius summit (Lithuania) in the month of July. This is the message conveyed by the defense minister, Daisy Roblesfrom the allied headquarters after the decision of the Alliance not to have any Spanish company in an informal meeting this Thursday.
“Spain has decided that until meetings like this are reconsidered, to use current terminology, we are going to veto the industry’s production action plan,” Robles confirmed. The defense minister has conveyed her discomfort in person to the NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenbergand has confirmed its boycott of the meeting in which 25 small, medium and large companies from different allied countries participate and among which companies from the United States do appear, Turkey, France, Germany, Portugal, Finland, Romania or Bulgaria among others, according to the Euractiv portal.
“If Spain is not available, we will not attend any meetings that may take place and, of course, we will record our proposal as we have done in this case, breaking the silence in relation to this plan,” insisted the minister justifying the pulse in the weight of Spain as an ally and in the weight of its industry. The Spanish Executive considers that the allies must continue working “a little more” on the plan and that “it cannot be considered approved” until more is specified. “In the strictly industrial sphere, each company knows how to move, but if here, in NATO, there is talk of an action plan for industrial production, it is evident, for many reasons, that Spain must be reckoned with”, added the minister .
“At a time like the one we are experiencing in which the defense industry is so important from all points of view, not only to preserve peace but also because of what innovation and technology implies, from this perspective it is evident that some company Spanish has to be represented. It’s a very good defense industry, creating a lot of innovation, technology and jobs. Spain as a serious, responsible, reliable and committed ally of NATO has to participate in all areas and the Spanish defense industry cannot be left out of such an important meeting”, added Robles, who has participated in the two meetings of the contact group for Ukraine and will participate in this afternoon’s ministerial session.
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Despite her meeting with Stoltenberg, the minister has assured that she still does not know the criteria and reasons why no Spanish company has been involved. “The reasons have not been explained to us. It should not be given more importance than it has, but it is an importance that has to be made very clear: that the Spanish defense industry has to play a very important role both within the EU and in other areas,” he reiterated.
In any case, Robles has ruled out that the absence of the Spanish sector will have any consequences because it is “a first contact meeting & rdquor; to analyze future prospects and analyze what the position of the defense industry of the NATO countries should be. “It is evident that nothing is going to be decided today or that any planning or action is going to be carried out. I am sure that in future meetings, if there are any because we also do not know if there are going to be more meetings or not and if it ends here, it will include the Spanish defense industry & rdquor ;, she has settled.