Spain and UK sign first post-Brexit bilateral framework

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomed Sánchez in London on Wednesday, strengthening ties and signing the first post-Brexit bilateral agreement between the two countries.

"It is a privilege to have you here, both because of our close friendship and because of the closeness between our two countries. We will talk about many things today, but first and foremost about our citizens. Because millions of British people visit Spain every year, and the contacts between companies and between people are incredible and truly valuable," said Starmer, sitting next to Sánchez at Downing Street.

Starmer also welcomed the bilateral agreement coming "after the hard work carried out with regard to Gibraltar". referencing the agreement between the UK, EU, Spain and Gibraltar tying up the last loose end of the Brexit process some five years after the UK formally left the block and almost a decade after the referendum vote.

The new framework does not mention Gibraltar specifically, however.

READ ALSO: Spain and UK plan to remove Gibraltar border crossing in January 2026

Sánchez, one of the few leftist leaders Starmer will deal with during his wider reset of UK-EU relations, said that "this bilateral agreement will strengthen our cooperation and collaboration" between the counties.

In a framework draft agreement released online by the British government, the two governments announced a commitment to hold an "annual strategic dialogue" to help strengthen cooperation at the international level.

"Spain and the United Kingdom have decided to increase their bilateral cooperation in full coherence and complementarity with Spain’s membership of the EU and with the relationship the UK has established with the EU through existing agreements and arrangements and others that may be concluded in the future," the text states.

The document encompasses a wide variety of points of cooperation, including economic growth, climate, migration, international affairs, defence and security, as well as a focus on strengthening ties between "our people" through culture, tourism and education.

In particular the text emphasises the threat posed by "Russia's violent and destabilising hybrid warfare campaign in Europe" and commits both countries to strengthening "mutual and allied resilience via focussed dialogues on countering Russian cyber; sabotage; foreign interference and information manipulation; assassinations; and espionage."

The political meeting was followed by a round table discussion between business executives from major companies from both Spain and the U.K, as well as Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Spain's Economy and Trade Minister Carlos Cuerpo.

Representing Spanish business were international giants such as Iberdrola, Telefónica, the Santander Group, Navantia, Indra and Aena.

The agreement also announced a "study of measures to help Spanish companies operate in the British market and British companies operate in the Spanish market."

The latest available data, from 2022, shows that Spanish direct investment in the UK amounted to almost €80 billion, the second most popular destination for Spanish capital after the United States, accounting for 14.5 percent of total foreign investment.

READ ALSO: 90-day rule, borders and taxes - What the Gibraltar deal means in practice