Spanish foreign minister to begin African tour on Wednesday

ISTANBUL

Spain’s foreign minister will begin a two-day African tour Wednesday to strengthen ties before the country assumes the EU presidency, the Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.

The tour will include Niger, Nigeria and Guinea-Bissau, where Manuel Albares will discuss political and economic issues and cooperation projects, it said in a statement.

"With his visit to the African continent, Albares seeks to make visible the importance that Spain attaches to a region that faces multiple challenges such as terrorism, poverty, climate change, food insecurity, the fight against human trafficking, the energy crisis and organized crime," it added.

Less than six months before Spain assumes command of the Council of the EU, Albares wants to advance that "Africa will be among the priorities of that Spanish Presidency with concrete initiatives that range from the political, to the economic and humanitarian," it said.