Madrid: India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said that Spain will soon open a consulate in Bengaluru. He described it as a "good sign" for deepening ties between the two countries. Jaishankar, who is on a two-day visit to Spain, made these remarks during an interaction with the Indian community here. "In terms of the relations at the people-to-people level of the two countries, I hope the people of Barcelona will welcome the fact that we have a consulate there. Spain will soon have a consulate in Bengaluru," he said while interacting with the community. 

What did Jaishankar say?

Jaishankar said, "These are good signs that our relations are getting deeper and you are creating bigger institutions, because you can say that trade is increasing. As the relations deepen, we should have consulates and who knows where we will be in the future." The Foreign Minister said, "We have decided that we will celebrate 2026 as a double year. A double year in which we will celebrate culture, tourism and artificial intelligence in both the countries. So till 2025 we will work hard to prepare for 2026." 

Jaishankar's first visit to Spain as Foreign Minister

This is Jaishankar's first visit to Spain as Foreign Minister, which is taking place about two and a half months after the visit of Spanish President Pedro Sanchez to India. Jaishankar met Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Alberes and also discussed regional and global issues.