MADRID, July 29 (Xinhua)-- Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Monday urged the European Union (EU) to "diversify" the country's commercial relations, following the announcement of a new EU-U.S. trade agreement reached late Sunday.
Speaking at his residence in Madrid ahead of the summer parliamentary recess, Sanchez told the press that he "valued" the "efforts the European Commission has made."
He said the trade deal showed that "one of the lessons Europe has to make in the face of the U.S. administration is that we have to get our act together in every aspect: in strategic autonomy and in commercial agreements with other countries."
"We have to diversify our commercial relations with blocs that want an agreement with Europe, such as Mercosur," said Sanchez, stressing that Spain's foreign policy was based on "commitment to peace, reality and cooperation between nations."
U.S. President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the new deal on Sunday, following trade talks at the Trump Turnberry in South Ayrshire, Scotland.
Although both leaders described the agreement as a step toward restoring "trade balance" and promoting more equitable two-way commerce, the deal allows the United States to impose a broad 15 percent tariff on EU goods while securing zero-tariff access for a range of strategic American exports. In contrast, the EU has pledged to purchase 750 billion U.S. dollars' worth of American energy and commit an additional 600 billion dollars in investments in the United States. ■