Spain and India have maintained diplomatic relations since 1956, with a considerable increase of their exchanges in the 21st century, to the point that India has become a priority partner for Spain in Asia in the last decade. Although Spain and India do not coincide in their main areas of geostrategic interest, the relation is characterized by the absence of irritants, shared values, government understanding and social affinity. The declaration of Association for Peace, Growth and Innovation (APCI, by its Spanish acronym) in 2017 marked a bilateral milestone by establishing for the first time a multisectoral cooperation framework for our bilateral relations. The APCI is reinforced by a network of bilateral treaties and memoranda, and seven active dialogues that weave a solid network of governmental and institutional agreements. The joint commitment to multilateralism and international security has been a constant in the Indo-Spanish relationship, with both countries maintaining solid cooperation in the fields of security and defense. Among the remaining challenges are an increase in the intensity of bilateral visits and the need for an institutional redeployment.
In this working document we analyze the APCI, official visits and political understanding as cornerstones of our governmental relations; the main agreements and dialogues that make up the backbone of our bilateral relations; the network of embassies, consulates and bilateral offices; alliances in security and defense in view of the new geopolitical context; common values and shared vision within the framework of the United Nations system; or the bilateral dimension of the relations between the European Union and India.
