In a major step toward elevating its ties with India, Spain on Wednesday (January 21, 2026) said it was joining the New Delhi-powered Indo-Pacific Ocean Initiative (IPOI), even as the European Union (EU) said it would go ahead to take its Indian ties to a strategic security and defence partnership.
Spain’s joining the IOPI — and the EU taking forward its security and defence relations with India to a higher level — are significant expansions of their bilateral engagement with New Delhi.
What did Spain say about IPOI joining?
Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares, during his meeting with India’s External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, handed over the Declaration of Accession to IPOI in New Delhi. He declared that Spain would also upgrade its India ties to a “strategic association,” the highest level of bilateral partnership.
Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative, launched by India in 2019, fosters cooperation among nations for a free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific, strengthening maritime security, stability and development.
How important are India ties for Spain?
Describing India as a “reliable country” committed to international law, multilateralism and the principles of the UN Charter, Albares stressed that Spain saw India as “a stable and trustworthy” partner in an increasingly complex global order.
Madrid was eager to widen its bilateral ties with India, and through cooperation through the European Union, and in multilateral forums. The Spanish announcements came ahead of the India–EU summit later this month.
How did Jaishankar respond to his Spanish counterpart?
Noting that the world order was going through “profound changes,” Jaishankar said cooperation and collaboration among like-minded nations was the need of the times. Both India and Spain, he said, were terror victims, calling for “zero tolerance” towards the global threat of terrorism.
He also highlighted the growing economic and defence ties between the two nations and cited the example of the Airbus-Tata joint venture in India to produce the C-295 military cargo planes as the right way forward. He announced that the first aircraft from the facility in Gujarat would roll out by September.
How are India and the EU moving forward on their ties?
An announcement on the signing of a Free Trade Agreement and the finalisation of a security and defence partnership between India and the EU is likely next week, as India would host European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as chief guests at this year’s Republic Day parade in Delhi on January 26.
The two sides are also expected to declare a mobility framework to provide more opportunities to Indian professionals to work in EU nations when they meet with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the India-EU Summit scheduled for January 27.
The EU delegation to India would comprise of 90-plus members, including the grouping’s foreign and security policy chief Kaja Kallas, trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic, apart from directors general for trade, energy and industrial policy, international media reports said.