Costa News Spain Breaking News | English News in Spain.
Sir Alex Ellis has arrived in Madrid this morning (Monday), the place he takes over from Hugh Elliott within the service of His Majesty King Charles III because the British Ambassador to Spain and Non-Resident Ambassador to Andorra.
Sir Alex will current his credentials to His Majesty King Felipe VI in a ceremony that may happen within the subsequent few weeks.
“I’m honoured to characterize His Majesty Charles III and my nation as Ambassador to Spain and Andorra,” he stated, “Our nations get pleasure from an in depth and enduring relationship throughout so many areas: between our residents, our cultures, our armed forces and the world over of academia, science and commerce. I’m wanting ahead to supporting this relationship to turn into even stronger.”
This can be Ellis’ second posting to Spain, a rustic he already is aware of nicely from his position within the British Embassy in Madrid within the early 2000s. Since then, he has served as Ambassador to Portugal and Brazil and most not too long ago, because the Excessive Commissioner to India.
He has held a variety of roles throughout the International, Commonwealth and Growth Workplace, Cupboard Workplace and the Division for Exiting the European Union, along with being an Advisor to the President of the European Fee, and Deputy Nationwide Safety Adviser for the Cupboard Workplace.
UK and Spain Have fun Over 500 Years of Diplomatic Relations Amid Sturdy Financial and Social Ties
The diplomatic relationship between the UK and Spain, spanning over 500 years, stays one of the vital strong in Europe. As of December 2022, greater than 412,000 British residents have been registered as residents in Spain, based on Spain’s Nationwide Statistics Institute (INE), whereas roughly 389,000 Spaniards reside within the UK, based on knowledge from the EU Settlement Scheme. These figures spotlight the deep social connections between the 2 nations.
Tourism performs a serious position within the relationship, with 17.3 million British vacationers visiting Spain in 2023, accounting for 20% of all worldwide travellers. British guests spent practically 20 billion euros, contributing 1.4% to Spain’s GDP. In the meantime, the UK is the second hottest vacation spot for Spanish vacationers after France.
Commerce and funding additionally solidify their ties. Bilateral commerce reached 65 billion euros this yr, with providers commerce rising nearly 30% over the previous 5 years. The UK is Spain’s third-largest investor, whereas Spain is the second-largest vacation spot for British funding. Round 400 Spanish firms are registered within the UK, and practically 700 British companies function in Spain.
The nations’ strategic partnership extends past economics. As NATO allies since 1982, the UK and Spain collaborate carefully on defence, working collectively in operations like air surveillance on NATO’s jap flank, naval missions, and fast response forces. This defence cooperation strengthens world safety, reflecting the enduring significance of their alliance.
