New Delhi [India], November 1 (ANI): Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita will undertake an official visit to Spain from November 3 to 5, the MEA stated.

During the visit, he will participate in the 30th Summit of the Ibero-American Conference being hosted by Spain. India is set to join the Conference as an Associate Observer. The Conference currently consists of 22 member countries - 19 from Latin America and 3 from Europe (Spain, Portugal and Andorra), 12 Associate Observers and 20 Consultative Observers.

According to the Spanish Foreign Ministry, the Summits were first held in Guadalajara and Madrid in 1991 and 1992 respectively, in response to the political will of the member countries to formalise the historic link between Ibero-America and the Iberian Peninsula through dialogue, cooperation and solidarity.

The Heads of State and Government of the member countries meet regularly, annually until 2014, and biennially since then.

According to the MEA, the visit will mark an important milestone in the ongoing celebrations of the India-Spain Dual Year of Culture, Tourism and Artificial Intelligence. He shall also undertake bilateral meetings with key counterparts on the sidelines of the Summit, and engage with the Indian community in Madrid.

India and Spain have had cordial relations since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1956. The year 2026 is being observed as the Dual Year of Culture, Tourism and Artificial Intelligence to mark the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez had earlier visited India on February 18-19 to attend the AI Impact Summit 2026. He held bilateral talks with PM Narendra Modi. Earlier, PM Modi had paid an official visit to Spain on May 30-31, 2017.

The bilateral partnership in the defence sector has witnessed rapid growth in recent years. The procurement of 56 C-295 aircraft from Airbus Spain in a USD 2.5 billion contract, 40 of which will be made in India by Tata Advanced Systems, shows the deepening defence cooperation.

Spain is India's sixth-largest trade partner in Europe. India's exports as of 2024 stood at USD 7.83 billion, while imports stood at USD 3.29 billion. (ANI)