This is the bilateral relationship between Spain and Colombia in data

(CNN Spanish) — Colombia and Spain have a strong long-standing relationship, both commercial and political. Bilateral relations between the two countries were established in 1881 and remain to this day, with the two countries maintaining an active dialogue, with Spain being one of the main allies of the South American country in Europe.

These are some facts about the bilateral relations between Spain and Colombia.

Politics of Spain and Colombia

At a political level, Spain and Colombia have been characterized by the diversity of meetings of parliamentarians, ministers, chancellors and presidents throughout their history. In a demonstration of these solid relations, the president of the Spanish government, Pedro Sánchez, will begin a tour of Latin America on August 23. The tour will begin in Colombia, where he will meet with the recently inaugurated President Gustavo Petro. King Felipe VI of Spain was also present at Petro’s presidential inauguration, as he has done on previous occasions.

King Felipe (right) of Spain shakes hands with Colombian President-elect Gustavo Petro as he arrives for his inauguration ceremony at Plaza de Bolívar in Bogotá on August 7, 2022, while Chilean President Gabriel Boric (center) and his partner Irina Karamanos (left) applaud. (Credit: JUAN BARRETO/AFP via Getty Images)

In terms of bilateral relations, Spain has been for Colombia “an ally in multilateral settings, as the cardinal promoter of the Ibero-American Community and the main interlocutor of our interests in the European Union”, says the Colombian Foreign Ministry.

Meanwhile, Spain was Colombia’s main ally in its international agenda in the European Union to reach a trade agreement with the bloc and to reach an important milestone: the elimination of visas for Colombian tourists to enter the European Union.

It also supported Colombia in the process of accession to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, OECD, and has supported Colombia in the post-conflict, according to Spain Exports and Investments, ICEXan entity attached to the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism of the European country.

King Felipe VI of Spain speaks during the closing ceremony of the Colombia 2021 World Law Congress on December 3, 2021 in Barranquilla, Colombia. (Credit: Guillermo Legaria/Getty Images)

Migration and tourism

Colombia has historically been a country whose population has been mobilized, and has had several waves: the first to the United States in the 1960s; then, in the second wave, in the 1980s, it moved to Venezuela, and in the third wave, which began mainly around 1998, partly due to the economic crisis and violence, it left for Spain, according to the Colombian Foreign Ministry.

According to the National Statistics Institute of Spain, INE, Colombians they are the fourth foreign population group more numerous in Spain, with some 315,885 Colombians living in this country after migrants from Morocco, Romania and the United Kingdom, according to figures from January 1, 2022. In one year, this figure grew by about 18,203, according to the INE.

And since 2015, with the support of the Spanish government, Colombians do not need a visa to enter the Schengen area, the migration of nationals has increased significantly in recent years.

According to the Spanish governmentthe highest population growth during 2021 occurred among residents with nationality from Italy (6.8%), Colombia (6.1%), and Peru (5.6%).

File photo. Migration at Barcelona airport. (Credit: LLUIS GENE/AFP via Getty Images)

Meanwhile, by 2021, it was estimated that some 37,400 Spaniards resided in Colombia, according to the INE.

On the other hand, tourism is another point of contact between the two countries.

Spain is one of the favorite destinations of Colombians according to figures of the Colombian government. By September 2021, just over 109,000 Colombian travelers arrived in Spain, a figure below destinations such as Mexico (about 243,000) and the United States (1.1 million visits), according to figures from Migración Colombia.

Spaniards come in smaller numbers to Colombia, but they represent almost 4% of the income of tourists who arrive in the country. September 2021 figures speak of the arrival of some 31,943 Colombian citizens in Colombia, an increase of 34% compared to 2020, when 23,700 Spaniards arrived in the country.

Economy and international treaties

Spain ranks ninth as the country of origin of Colombian imports, with 2.2% of the total, according to figures for 2021.

Meanwhile, Spain is the 13th country of destination for Colombian exports, well below the US, the main destination, (27.5%); China (10.4%), India (5.1%) and Brazil (4.9%)

Colombia mainly exports mineral fuels (20.66%), crude petroleum oils (14.91%) and coffee (8.54%) to Spain.

In 2020, Spain was the second country with the highest investment in Colombia, with US$1,752 million, according to the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism of Colombia.

Until August 2021, the most recent figure available, Spain exported some 500.36 million euros (about US$496 million) to Colombia, while imports from Colombia to Spain were 273 million euros (about US$270 million). ), according to ICEX.

Meanwhile, Spain is the second foreign capital investor in Colombia after the United States. By 2020, the European country invested more than US$1,811 million in Colombia, behind the US, which invested US$2,086 million in the Latin American country, according to ICEX figures.

“In 2019 Colombia notably increased its investment in Spain with 1,193 million euros, greatly improving the low figures of 2018 and 2017”, says ICEX. For the following year, that of the pandemic, the trend was positive “although more modest.”