Spain’s current standing in India: its image and political relations

The Elcano Royal Institute is a think-tank for international and strategic studies that analyses world events and trends from a Spanish, European and global perspective.

The Elcano Royal Institute's Working Papers are longer documents of an academic nature - usually between 12,000 and 15,000 words long, with footnotes and bibliographies - on current international affairs of relevance to Spain or on different aspects of Spain's foreign policy and security.

This working paper forms part of an Elcano Royal Institute initiative aimed at analysing Spain’s relations with key Asian countries. The initiative unfolds in the context of the region’s growing importance on the international stage, especially in the political and economic spheres.

The absence of a strong national image in the most important Asian capitals, a lack of awareness of the technological and commercial capabilities of the most internationally-inclined Spanish companies and the traditionally low profile of political relations: these are the hurdles Spain must overcome in order to foster a new dynamic in its relations in this region. The Spanish government, aware of the importance of the challenge, announced via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation its Asia-Pacific Framework Plans in the year 2000. Successive versions of these plans have coordinated government efforts to increase Spanish presence and visibility in the region, seeking new ways to underpin Spain’s image and performance in a part of the world that has brighter prospects than any other.