Spain’s Foreign Minister seeks ‘close relationship’ with the UK after Brexit

SPAIN’S newly appointed Foreign Minister Arancha González has stated that the country seeks to exert a “constructive influence” in the discussions between the European Union and the United Kingdom. 

Speaking at a press conference in Madrid on behalf of the government, Arancha González said that Spain wants to maintain its strong ties with the UK after Brexit comes into force on January 31.

According to governmental figures, there are approximately 100,000 Spaniards residing in the UK, where in Spain there are some 300,000 Britons. UN data also indicates that together with Portugal, the Iberian Peninsula represents almost a quarter of all Britons living in Europe. This has led to immense speculation on what will happen to all those who are living outside of their native country, where so far no official statement has been released on their future.

The current data is however not an exact representation of the number of residents who are living abroad since Spanish citizens are not required to declare their residence in the United Kingdom, and vice-versa. It is widely believed that the number is far higher due to the fact that both countries have been a longstanding member of the European Union and declaration is not strictly enforced.