US, Spain call for ceasefire in Gaza

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs Jose Manuel Albares on Friday to discuss bilateral and regional issues, including the conflicts in Gaza Strip and Ukraine. "They called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza as part of a hostage deal and stressed the value of working with regional leaders to ensure Palestinian civilians' safe access to humanitarian assistance as well as the need to prevent further escalation in the Middle East," said US State Dept. Spokesperson Matthew Miller. They underscored unwavering transatlantic support for Ukraine as it defends against "Russia's brutal and unprovoked war," and shared their concerns about PRC and third-country support to the Russian defense industrial base, according to a statement attributable to Miller. "They discussed cooperation to assist Haiti through the Multinational Security Support mission and their shared concern for instability in the Sahel. Secretary Blinken and Foreign Minister Albares discussed preparations f or the July 9-11 NATO Washington Summit and our crucial relationship as NATO Allies. They also discussed ever-increasing US-Spanish collaboration in Latin America, shared priorities on investment, migration, and democracy, and issues related to the Indo-Pacific, including the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and in the South China Sea, the statement added. Source: Kuwait News Agency