U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Spain and Andorra

U.S.-SPAIN RELATIONS The United States established diplomatic relations with Spain in 1783. Spain and the United States are close allies and have excellent relations based on shared democratic values, including the promotion of democracy and human rights. Spain joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 1982. In addition to U.S. and Spanish cooperation in NATO, defense and security relations between the two countries are regulated by the Mutual Defense Assistance Agreement and the Agreement on Defense Cooperation. Under this agreement, Spain has authorized the United States to use certain facilities at Spanish military installations. In 2012 and 2015, Spain and the United States amended this agreement to permit the basing of additional U.S. personnel and equipment at bases in southern Spain. Spain is an active participant in the Coalition to Defeat ISIS, with over 500 personnel deployed in Iraq in 2020 to support the training of Iraqi security forces. The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Spanish National Institute for Aerospace Technology jointly operate the Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex in support of Earth orbital and solar system exploration missions. The Madrid Complex is one of the three largest tracking and data acquisition complexes comprising NASA’s Deep Space Network. The two countries have a cultural and educational cooperation agreement. The U.S. Embassy conducts educational, professional, and cultural exchange programs. Spain is the third most popular destination for U.S. students worldwide. The binational Fulbright program for graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and visiting professors is among the largest in the world. The U.S.-Spain Fulbright Commission celebrated its 60th?anniversary in 2018. U.S. Assistance to Spain The United States provides no development assistance to Spain. Bilateral Economic Relations Spain’s accession to the European Union (EU) in 1986 required the country to open its economy to trade and investment, modernize its industrial base, improve infrastructure, and revise economic legislation to conform to EU guidelines. Spain is now the fifth-largest economy in the EU and the fourth-largest economy in the Eurozone. Spain and the United States have a friendship, navigation, and commerce treaty as well as a bilateral taxation treaty, the implementation of which may stem the practice of many U.S. companies channeling their Spanish investments and operations through third countries. Spain’s Membership in International Organizations Spain and the United States belong to a number of the same international organizations, including the United Nations, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and World Trade Organization. Spain also is an observer to the Organization of American States. Spain began its current term as a member of the UN Human Rights Council in 2018.