Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Spanish President Pedro Sanchez recently held a significant bilateral meeting in Vadodara, Gujarat, marking the first visit by a Spanish Prime Minister to India in nearly two decades. This meeting resulted in the signing of several memorandums of understanding (MoUs) aimed at enhancing cooperation across various sectors.

Rail Transport: An MoU was established to enhance cooperation in the planning, design, development, and operation of railway infrastructure and services.

An agreement for mutual assistance in customs matters was signed to facilitate information exchange and combat customs offenses.

Both countries agreed to designate 2026 as the "India-Spain Year of Culture, Tourism, and AI," aiming to promote cultural exchanges through various artistic and educational initiatives.

These agreements reflect a commitment to deepen ties in infrastructure, culture, and tourism, as well as to enhance economic collaboration between the two nations.

Economic And Strategic Cooperation

The leaders emphasized the importance of boosting economic ties and exploring strategic cooperation in key sectors such as:

A fast-track mechanism was announced to expedite mutual investments, recognizing the expertise of Spanish companies in various fields including energy, healthcare, automotive, and transport infrastructure. Modi invited Spanish industries to partner with India on its development journey.

The talks also included discussions on global issues such as the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and West Asia. PM Modi reiterated India's stance that conflicts should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy rather than warfare. Both leaders expressed their commitment to peace and stability in these regions.

Additionally, they acknowledged the growing people-to-people connections, with significant tourism flows between the two countries—approximately 250,000 Indian tourists visit Spain annually while around 40,000 Spaniards visit India.