India's Minister Heads to Spain for Ibero-American Summit

India will be represented at the 30th Ibero-American Conference Summit in Spain by Minister of State Pabitra Margherita, who departs on November 3 for a three-day official visit. The Ministry of External Affairs announced the trip in a statement.

India is taking part in the summit as an Associate Observer. The conference presently has 22 member countries, of which 19 are in Latin America and three in Europe: Spain, Portugal and Andorra. It also includes 12 Associate Observers and 20 Consultative Observers.

Margherita's visit is part of the wider programme under the India-Spain Year of Culture, Tourism and Artificial Intelligence. In addition to the summit, she will hold bilateral meetings with counterparts and meet the Indian diaspora in Madrid.

The two countries have had diplomatic relations since 1956, and 2026 marks 70 years of this partnership. The occasion led to the joint declaration of 2026 as the year of culture, tourism and AI.

Spanish President Pedro Sanchez recently visited New Delhi for the AI Impact Summit 2026 and met Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Their bilateral talks covered strengthening friendship through cooperation in defence, security, technology and other fields.

Spain is India's sixth-largest trading partner in Europe, and bilateral trade was valued at 9.9 billion US dollars in 2023. More than 250 Spanish companies are operating in India. Joint efforts are underway in defence modernisation, aerospace, naval technology and counter-terrorism.

Around 75,000 people of Indian origin live in Spain. India inaugurated a new Consulate General in Barcelona in August 2024 to enhance its diplomatic outreach. According to the MEA website, the University of Valladolid has a Chair of Hindi and Indian Studies, and International Yoga Day is organised annually in various Spanish cities.