The head of the new project España Global ("Global Spain"), Irene Lozano, has informed Belgian foreign affairs minister Didier Reynders of her plans to defend Spain's reputation.
The Belgian Deputy Prime Minister And Foreign Affairs Minister @dreynders has met with me today. I have been able to share with him what @GlobalSpain is and what we are going to do from this office for the reputation of our country 🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/vuSQQXWhSe
— Irene Lozano (@lozanoirene) 28 de enero de 2019
In a meeting in Brussels, Lozano explained to Reynders what the foreign ministry's España Global project entails. According to the Belgian minister, they spoke about their "cooperation at a European and international scale", of their "desire to work more closely together" and the phenomenon of fake news.
"It was a very interesting meeting," said Reynders on Twitter. Lozano also plans to meet with European Commission spokesperson Margaritis Schinas and European Parliament spokesperson Jaume Duch, as well as with "Spanish MEPs of all political parties".
Encuentro muy interesante con @lozanoirene sobre @Espanaglobal, #FakeNews , nuestra cooperación a nivel europeo e internacional, y nuestro deseo de trabajar aún más juntos. pic.twitter.com/5MKudMZ0O5
— didier reynders (@dreynders) 28 de enero de 2019
The meeting is part of Lozano's visit to Brussels and London this week to inform her counterparts that "the protection and projection of Spain's reputation" will be an official policy of Pedro Sánchez's government "for the first time". According to her office, this strategy is based "on the promotion of a democratic, modern, caring and profoundly pro-European Spain".
In London, she is scheduled to give a speech to the House of Lords on Wednesday and to meet with the British-Spanish All-Party Parliamentary Group.
ERC's request
The start of Lozano's trip coincided with ERC filing a petition in the Congress in Madrid for her to appear to explain the campaign they've announced against the alleged fake news spread around the trial. She said on Sunday that the Spanish executive would fight against these "disinformation campaigns" with videos, social media campaigns, accredited spokespeople and forums. According to Lozano it's a matter of "defending themselves" against the "attacks" on the state's reputation.