The Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, and the President of Spain, Pedro Sánchez (in the pic from the NATO website, with secretary general Jens Stoltenberg), met in the NATO Summit this Monday, June 14. They discussed the economic and social relations between the two nations, as well as forced migration and the importance of an international policy for the distribution of vaccines for the less favored countries.
In a joint statement, Trudeau and Sánchez expressed their interest in the migratory situation in Mexico and forced displacement in Central America. Until the end of June, Spain will chair the Support Platform for the Comprehensive Regional Framework for Protection and Solutions (MIRPS) for forced displacement in Central America and Mexico, and Canada will be the country that receives the post.
“Spain and Canada share concern about the migratory situation and forced displacement in Central America and Mexico. Our country called a few days ago a solidarity event in which Canada participated, which has raised more than 90 million euros, of which Spain has committed to contribute 6.3 million euros for the period 2021-2022 “, adds the document.
It should be remembered that Marco Mendicino, Canadian Minister of Immigration, Citizenship and Refuge, said a few days ago that Ottawa “is prepared to receive some Central American migrants to help the United States, which is dealing with the influx of migrants on its southern border with Mexico.” Mendicino assured that Canada aims to resettle 36,000 refugees in 2021.
This offer of aid from Canada comes as the number of migrants left in custody on the border between the United States and Mexico has skyrocketed in recent months to levels. highest in two decades.
The Spanish president applauded Canada’s support for the refugees, and was pleased with “the excellent bilateral relationship” between the two countries. Sánchez also recalled that Canada supported in 2020 the initiative ‘Together for a strengthened multilateralism, whose objective is to “face the great global challenges from multilateralism and build a more peaceful, just, inclusive and sustainable world.
Vaccines for all
Spain has stepped on the accelerator in vaccination against the coronavirus both inside and outside the country, highlighting the need to increase vaccines in less favored countries.
Spain is at the head of the doses administered weekly per inhabitant among the five most populated countries in the European Union (EU), according to the latest data from the organization ‘Our World in Data’, which compiles information from different governments. Spain’s current vaccination rate follows in the footsteps of other countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada.
The Spanish president also said that Madrid will host the NATO summit in 2022, which will be held in Spain for the first time in 25 years.
