Maputo, July 15, 2026 (Lusa) - Mozambique wishes to strengthen cooperation with Spain in the fight against terrorism and in the economic sphere, with a view to boosting trade between the two countries and strengthening the response to the insurgency in the north of the country, it announced on Wednesday.
According to statements released by the Mozambican Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation (MNEC), following the third Mozambique-Spain Political Consultations, held on Tuesday, the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and the Mozambican Community Abroad, Maria Manso, stated that the two countries are focused on intensifying bilateral cooperation.
“We discussed domestic issues, our political, economic and social situation, and we also addressed matters concerning our SADC [Southern African Development Community] region,” she explained.
According to Maria Manso, the two countries discussed bilateral cooperation in traditional areas such as education and health.
“We also looked at the bilateral economic dimension, which essentially aims to broaden the scope of our trade balance, and to step up our efforts towards establishing the joint committee, if possible, before the end of this year,” she added.
The minister reiterated that Mozambique is now focused on economic development, with a particular emphasis on youth employability: “This was one of the concerns raised during our discussions.”
Manso added that the meeting also served to seek Spain’s support in the fight against terrorism in Cabo Delgado, a province in northern Mozambique, which, since October 2017, has been the scene of attacks by armed groups that have already claimed more than 6,600 lives.
“The fight against terrorism was part of the discussions we had (...), always involving Spain and acting as a bridge with the European Union to continue supporting Mozambique in this fight against terrorism,” she noted.
For her part, Ximena Tocino, Director-General for Africa at the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the European Union and Cooperation, noted that the meeting with Mozambique served to assess bilateral relations in the political, economic, cultural and cooperation spheres.
According to Tocino, the consultations also provided an opportunity to take a “very positive” stock of almost half a century of diplomatic relations, with many milestones and future projects that “demonstrate the commitment of Spain and Mozambique to addressing common challenges in the economic, security and political spheres”.
In June 2025, Mozambique's president, Daniel Chapo, said the “shared desire” is to deepen cooperation with Spain, following a meeting with King Felipe VI.
“This meeting was an opportunity to reiterate the bonds of friendship and cooperation between Mozambique and the Kingdom of Spain, as well as to reaffirm our shared desire to deepen bilateral relations in the political, economic, cultural and social spheres,” read a message posted on the Facebook page of the president of Mozambique.
In the statement released at the time, Daniel Chapo also stated that Mozambique values Spain’s role as a “strategic partner,” adding that it would continue to work to strengthen the partnership for the benefit of the peoples of both countries.
LCE/ADB // ADB.
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