LAST UPDATE: 20:27
US President Joe Biden today agreed to step up his country’s co-operation with Spain on defense and immigration issues, five days after the tragedy in Melilla, the Spanish enclave in Morocco, where hundreds of African migrants tried to enter.
Biden, in a meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez ahead of the NATO summit in Madrid, offered to work with the two countries to “do more for Africa and promote stability and economic growth”.
At least 23 migrants were killed and many more were injured when they tried to cross into Melilla last Friday.
Biden’s commitment to help Spain manage migration flows from Africa comes at a time when Madrid intends to take advantage of the NATO summit and turn the Allies’ eyes to the South Wing of the Pact to address “, as he calls them. These threats include irregular migration, which is intensifying following rising food prices triggered by Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Biden and Sanchez agreed to boost legal immigration, especially from Latin America and the Caribbean, but also referred to the “challenge” of irregular immigration from North Africa. “Both countries intend to cooperate (…) in ensuring the fair and humane treatment of migrants,” they said in a joint statement.
In the field of defense, the two leaders also discussed an agreement on the increase of US naval bases stationed at the Rota naval base in southern Spain, as well as ways to continue arms deliveries to Ukraine.
SOURCE: ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ
Source: Capital
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