TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Madrid group will convene on Sunday, May 25, 2025, in the capital of Spain in an effort to increase diplomatic pressure on Israel to stop its military attacks in Gaza.
"We want to mobilize voices from the European Union, but also invite those outside the European Union in Arab and Islamic countries," said Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares on Tuesday in an interview, as reported by El Pais.
"We all want the same thing: to end this war, prevent Gaza from becoming a mass grave, and break the Israeli blockade on humanitarian aid," he said.
The high-level talks will be the fifth official meeting of the Madrid Group, which includes ministers from the Arab-Islamic Contact Group in Gaza and several European countries.
Its last meeting in September 2024 included the participation of Spain, Norway, Slovenia, and Ireland from the European side, and Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Turkey, Egypt, Qatar, and Bahrain from the Arab-Islamic side.
The meeting is scheduled on the same day as the European Union announces a review of the Association Agreement with Israel.
This agreement grants Israel privileged trading rights on the condition of human rights compliance. The review is supported by 17 out of 27 member countries, according to EU officials. 9 countries oppose it and 1 abstains. Among the 9 countries that rejected it are Germany, Hungary, Cyprus, Bulgaria, and Lithuania.
Earlier, British Foreign Minister David Lammy announced the suspension of negotiations for a new UK-Israel free trade agreement.
"We're suspending negotiations," he said, accusing Israel of running "cruel policies" in Gaza.
Meanwhile, the Spanish Congress has voted in support of an arms embargo on Israel.
The Madrid Group, supported by the European Union, the Arab League, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, has previously called for an immediate ceasefire and advocated a two-state solution.
"We want to contribute all our support, power, and diplomatic capacity to the UN meeting next month, with the aim of reaching and implementing a two-state solution," Albares said, referring to the UN conference planned in June in New York.
The conference will seek broader recognition of Palestine as a sovereign state. Around 147 countries have recognized Palestine, including many Eastern European countries.
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