Russia–Spain relations
Russia |
Spain |
---|
The
Muscovy and Imperial Russia
Official contacts between the
The
Another temporary contact was established by
Regular embassies of the two countries were established by
In 1799–1801 Spain severed ties after
While
In 1893, Director of Police Pyotr Nikolayevich Durnovo caused a minor diplomatic incident by ordering secret agents to steal correspondence between the Spanish Ambassador and his mistress, a prostitute whom Durnovo had become smitten with. The crisis ended when the ambassador complained to Tsar Alexander III, who dismissed Durnovo.[7]
During the
Soviet period
The Soviet Union established diplomatic relations with the Second Spanish Republic on July 28, 1933. Moscow for years tried to purify the Spanish Communist Party by expelling anarchist and Trotskyite members, but the process took years and was finally handled by outside Communists sent to Spain in the Spanish Civil War who exposed and executed opponents.[8] Ambassador Marsel Rosenberg (1896–1938), his adviser and successor Leon Gaikis (1898–1937), and Consul-general Vladimir Antonov-Ovseenko (1883–1938) arrived in Madrid in 1936, when Spanish Civil War was already underway. The three were soon recalled to Moscow and executed for an alleged Trotskist conspiracy.[1]
The Soviet Union actively supported the
Spain's relations with the Soviets after World War II were described as "the worst, though hardly the most problematic",[10] culminating in Nikita Khrushchev's speech against Franco's regime in the United Nations General Assembly on October 1, 1960 and Franco's ban on the Spain vs. USSR game of the 1960 European Nations' Cup scheduled earlier in the same year.[10][11] Soon, however, the same leaders began gradual reestablishment of contacts. In April 1963 Khrushchev and Franco exchanged letters on disarmament[12] and the fate of Julián Grimau;[13] in January 1964 Franco appealed to Khrushchev again.[14] According to Soviet explanation of events, the move was initiated by the Spanish government.[15]
Until 1969, relations were informally maintained through Soviet and Spanish embassies in France. In 1967 Spanish and Soviet representatives agreed to open their seaports to ships carrying flag of the other country; in 1969 the Soviet state-owned Black Sea Shipping Company opened an office in Madrid – the first Soviet establishment in Spain since the Civil War. This office, staffed by professional diplomats, and headed by Sergey Bogomolov, who relocated to Madrid from Paris, doubled as the de facto Soviet consulate.[15]
The two countries signed an agreement on foreign trade in 1972. It promoted amicable diplomatic relations and the strategic partnership between the two countries.
After Bogomolov moved up to a senior position in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1978, he was replaced by Yuri Dubinin, who steered Soviet policy in Spain through the last phase of the Cold War, until 1986.[19] Dubinin actively promoted the idea of a state visit by Juan Carlos to Moscow; only after five years of preparations did Andrei Gromyko approve the visit[19] that materialized in May 1984.[20] Alexander Igorevich Kuznetsov, former (2005 to 2012) Russian ambassador to Spain and Andorra, has served in Madrid under Dubinin in 1982–1986.[21]
The Embassy of Russia in Madrid, inherited from the Soviet Union, was built in 1986–1991. The land lot at 155, Calle de Velázquez, was provided to the Soviets in 1980, but was loaded with zoning regulations limiting building height to 6 meters, presence of Spanish Armed Forces cables running underground and a gypsy squat town sprawling above – these obstacles held off construction for years.[22] The building was initially designed by painter Ilya Glazunov; Glazunov later contributed interior design, building structure was redesigned by architect Anatoly Polikarpov.[22]
Russian Federation
1991-2021
Spain and
Spain's share in Russian foreign trade in early 2000s hovered at just above 1% of Russian exports (dominated by oil and raw materials); Spanish exports to Russia were significantly lower (2001: 488 million US dollars vs. 890 million).[28] In 2008, according to Dmitry Medvedev, foreign trade levelled at 2 billion Euro (less than 1% of either country's foreign trade) while that between Russia and other countries comparable to Spain is measured in tens of billion euro.[29] Spain's share in foreign direct investment to Russian economy remains insignificant, the largest investment (as at 2003), at 319 million US dollars, has been made by Segura Consulting.[30]
In December 2000 the relations were strained by Spain' refusal to extradite fugitive banker and media executive Vladimir Gusinsky. Gusinsky, arrested and released in Spain, emigrated to Israel in April 2001.[31]
During the most recent state visit of Russian president
In 2016, the Spanish Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Ignacio Ybanez, told NATO officials Spain's support for constructive relations and cooperation between Russia and NATO, so the country defends the continuation of the political dialogue, said the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.[citation needed]
In 2019, Spain and Russia regained their cooperation, deteriorated by economic and political tides. Of this, many evidence was recently provided, ranging from the inauguration at the
In 2020, the representative of Russian diplomacy said in the margins of the 11th edition of the Gaidar Forum to ignore whether contacts have already been established between Moscow and the new Spanish Government, and assured that Russia is interested in "deepening the traditional friendly relations and of association "with Spain. "We believe that there is no reason for our nations to be guided by the politics of others and we trust that Russian-Spanish relations, with the current Government - or with any other - have a good future," he said. The Russian ambassador in Madrid, Yuri Korchagin, assured Efe that relations between Spain and Russia have been "excellent" with both the People's Party government and now with the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party. "Never, with democratic governments in Spain, have we had any problems or any impasse. There is always an interest in moving forward, promoting our relationship and friendship. Relations between Russia and Spain are friendly," he said. [6] He also declared: "If Spain had a more active or proactive role in re-establishing bridges (between the EU and Russia), it would play a historic role that would benefit everyone." [7]
Spain, along with rest of the European Union (EU) member states, positioned against Russia during the 2020–2021 Belarusian protests and for the arrest of opposition leader Alexei Navalny.[34] [8]
2022-present
After the
However, on July 11, 2022, news broke that Spain's purchase of Russian gas had increased, making Russia the second largest supplier of gas to Spain, only behind the United States. This is due, according to the Minister of Ecological Transition, Teresa Ribera, to "prior agreements" to the invasion of Ukraine.[38] Russia thus surpassed Algeria in the ranking of the largest gas suppliers to Spain, due to the diplomatic crisis that Algeria and Spain are suffering, which caused a collapse of Algerian gas imports, after Spain changed its position to a pro-Morocco position regarding the Western Sahara conflict.
Trade
In 2021 Spain exported $2.76 billion worth of goods to Russia with clothing being the main item. Russia exported $5.54 billion of goods with refined oil as the top product. Between 1995 and 2021 Spanish exports have risen by an average of 7.94% p.a. whilst Russian exports have risen by 5.77% on average.[39]
August 2023 saw Spain export €66.2m and import €93.2 million in the month showing a large fall in trade and a closing of the trade gap.[39]
Resident diplomatic missions
- Russia has an embassy in Madrid and a consulate-general in Barcelona.
- Spain has an embassy in Moscow and a consulate-general in Saint Petersburg.
-
Embassy of Russia in Madrid
-
Consulate-General of Russia in Barcelona
-
Embassy of Spain in Moscow
-
Consulate-General of Spain in Saint Petersburg
See also
- Foreign relations of Russia
- Foreign relations of Spain
- Russia–EU relations
- Russia–NATO relations
- Russians in Spain
- Spaniards in Russia
References
- ^ a b c d e f g "Embassy of Russia in Spain" (in Russian). Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (official site).
- ^ Hillgarth, p. 481
- ^ a b Hillgarth, p. 480
- ^ Anisimov, pp. 80-84
- ^ Russell H. Bartley, Imperial Russia and the Struggle for Latin American Independence, 1808–1828 (1978), ch. 3.
- ^ William Spence Robertson, "Russia and the Emancipation of Spanish America, 1816-1826: Hispanic American Historical Review 21#2 (1941), pp. 196-221 DOI: 10.2307/2507393 online
- OCLC 35657827.
- ^ Tim Rees, "Deviation and discipline: anti-Trotskyism, Bolshevization and the Spanish Communist party, 1924–34." Historical Research 82.215 (2009): 131-156.
- ^ "Pamyatnik sovetskim dobrovoltsam" (in Russian). Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (official site).
- ^ a b Payne, p. 531
- ^ Spanish withdrawal from this tournament paved way to Soviets winning the 1960 title.
- ^ Hoffman, Paul (April 29, 1963). "Spanish press curbs indicated in delays". The New York Times, April 29, 1963. Retrieved May 23, 2010.
- ^ Hoffmann, Paul (April 21, 1963). "Franco defends execution of Red". The New York Times, April 20, 1963. Retrieved May 23, 2010.
- ^ Hofmann, Paul (April 29, 1963). "Franco Sends Message On Peace to Khrushchev". The New York Times, January 28, 1964. Retrieved May 23, 2010.
- ^ a b c d "Posol Sovetskogo Soyuza" (in Russian). Ediciones Rusas Mediana, S.L., "Комсомольская правда в Испании". 2007. Archived from the original on 2011-08-27.
- ^ Yu. Korchagin and A. Rubinchik, "Towards a Strategic Partnership: On the 40th Anniversary of the Trade Agreement Between Russia and Spain" International Affairs: A Russian Journal of World Politics, Diplomacy & International Relations (2012) 58#6 pp 146-152.
- ^ Gladman, p. 586
- ^ "Soviets assail NATO decision to accept Spain". The New York Times, December 13, 1981. December 13, 1981. Retrieved May 23, 2010.
- ^ a b "Posol, posol! (interview with ambassador Dubinin)" (in Russian). Ediciones Rusas Mediana, S.L., "Комсомольская правда в Испании". 2004.
- ^ "Juan Carlos of Spain Starts Visit to Soviet". The New York Times, May 11, 1984. May 11, 1984. Retrieved May 23, 2010.
- ^ "Official biography of ambassador Kuznetsov (in Russian)". Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (official site).
- ^ a b "Bely dom v centre Madrida" (in Russian). Ediciones Rusas Mediana, S.L., "Комсомольская правда в Испании". 2005.
- ^ N. Anikeeva, and Yu. Dubinin, "Moscow-Madrid: Cooperation Milestones." International Affairs: A Russian Journal of World Politics, Diplomacy & International Relations (2011) 57#3 pp 214-221
- ^ Ivanov, preface
- ^ "Vladimir Putin, Juan Carlos I meet in Moscow's Kremlin". RIA Novosti, August 19, 2002.
- ^ "King of Spain Shoots a Drunken Bear Dead". Kommersant, October 19, 2006.
- ^ President of Russia - Meeting with King Juan Carlos I of Spain
- ^ Gladman, p. 330
- ^ "Medvedev prizval ne vozvodit berlinskuyu stenu." (in Russian). RIA Novosti, March 1, 2009. March 2009.
- ^ Rogacheva, Elena (2003). "European FDI in Russia" (PDF). OCO consulting.
- ^ Gladman, p. 307
- ^ a b c "Russia, Spain sign energy deal, smoothing investments". Reuters, March 3, 2009. March 3, 2009.
- El Periodico de Catalunya, 23 May 2019. 2019-05-23.
- ^ "Conclusions by the President of the European Council following the video conference of the members of the European Council on 19 August 2020". European Council. 19 August 2020.
- ^ Lee, Michael (8 March 2020). "Here are the nations on Russia's 'unfriendly countries' list". CTV News.
- ^ Minder, Raphael; Forsythe, Michael (16 March 2022). "Spain seizes another Russian yacht believed to belong to an oligarch". The New York Times.
- ^ Merino, Juan Carlos (5 April 2022). "España expulsa a 25 diplomáticos y personal de la embajada rusa tras la matanza de Bucha". La Vanguardia.
- ^ elEconomista.es. "España compra a Rusia una cifra histórica de gas en junio y ya es su segundo proveedor - elEconomista.es". www.eleconomista.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 2022-07-12.
- ^ a b "Spain/Russia". September 2023.
Further reading
External links
Sources
- Alba, Victor, and Stephen Schwartz. Spanish Marxism Versus Soviet Communism: A History of the POUM in the Spanish Civil War (Transaction Publishers, 2008).
- Alpert, Michael. A new international history of the Spanish Civil War (Springer, 2004).
- Anisimov, E. V.; Carroll, Kathleen (2004). Five empresses: court life in eighteenth-century Russia. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 0-275-98464-8.
- Anikeeva, N.; Dubinin, Vu. "Moscow-Madrid: Cooperation Milestones." International Affairs: A Russian Journal of World Politics, Diplomacy & International Relations (2011) 57#3 pp 214–221, covers 1986 to 2011.
- Cattell, David Tredwell. Soviet Diplomacy and the Spanish Civil War (U of California Press, 1957).
- Dubinin, Yu. "Russian-Spanish Relations: Notes on the Recent Past" International Affairs: A Russian Journal of World Politics, Diplomacy & International Relations (2011) 57#2 pp 270–278, covers 1978 to 1986.
- Fasey, Rosemary J. "Writers in the service of revolution: Russia's ideological and literary impact on Spanish poetry and prose, 1925-36" (PhD. Diss. The University of St Andrews, 2003) online
- Gladman, Imogen (2003). Eastern Europe, Russia and Central Asia 2004. Routledge. ISBN 1-85743-187-1.
- J. N. Hillgarth (2000). The mirror of Spain, 1500-1700: the formation of a myth. University of Michigan Press. ISBN 0-472-11092-6.
- Ivanov, Igor (2002). The new Russian diplomacy. Brookings Institution Press. ISBN 0-8157-4498-6.
- Offner, John L. (1992). An unwanted war: the diplomacy of the United States and Spain over Cuba, 1895-1898. UNC Press. ISBN 0-8078-4380-6.
- Núñez Seixas, Xosé M. "Russia and the Russians in the Eyes of the Spanish Blue Division soldiers, 1941–4." Journal of Contemporary History 52.2 (2017): 352–374. online
- Payne, Stanley G. (1987-11-15). The Franco regime, 1936-1975. University of Wisconsin Press, 1987. ISBN 0-299-11070-2.
- Puzzo, Dante Anthony. Spain and the great powers, 1936-1941\ (Columbia UP, 1962).
- Sierra Blas, Verónica. "Educating the communists of the future: notes on the educational life of the Spanish children evacuated to the USSR during the Spanish Civil War." Paedagogica Historica 51.4 (2015): 496–519.
- Simão, Licínia. "Portuguese and Spanish Relations with Moscow: Contributions from the EU's Periphery to the CFSP." Journal of Contemporary European Studies 19.2 (2011): 213–223.
- Volosyuk, O. V. "Russian Historiography on Russian-Spanish Relations in the XVIIIth century: traditions and new methods." RUDN Journal of World History 4 (2010): 44–57 in Russian