Secretary Carter called Minister Morenés today. Secretary Carter recognized Spain’s strong contributions to global security and its commitments to NATO, calling Spain a “full-spectrum ally.” They discussed Spain’s contributions to counter-terrorism efforts and joint military collaboration. Secretary Carter thanked Minister Morenés for Spain’s continued hospitality in hosting U.S. forces and their families at Morón and Rota.
Both men acknowledged the mutual security benefits of this arrangement, as well as the related labor concerns at Morón. They expressed confidence that the strong U.S.-Spain bilateral relationship would help resolve these concerns favorably for both countries.
The secretary acknowledged the long history of defense cooperation between the United States and Spain. This was the first conversation between the two leaders and the two leaders noted that they look forward to meeting in person soon.