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| President Muhammadu Buhari |
As the war between Russia and Ukraine rages, President Muhammadu Buhari has called for global cooperation to avert a looming food crisis.
He made the call on Wednesday in Madrid, Spain at the Royal Palace during an audience with his Royal Majesty King Felipe VI in continuation of his visit to the country.
“The two leaders canvassed a global action to stem the food problem, especially in wheat production occasioned by the ongoing war in Ukraine, urging world leaders to take concrete actions to avert the crisis,” a statement by presidential spokesman Femi Adesina said.
In a separate meeting with President Pedro Sanchez, President Buhari said Nigeria looked forward to increasing bilateral relations between both nations.
This is even as he commended his Spanish counterpart for his leadership qualities and contributions in the war against terror in Sub-Saharan Africa, especially in Mali, and looked forward to cooperation in the area.
The two leaders discussed areas of cooperation in which Agreements and Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) were signed.
In his remarks, President Sanchez stressed that as a major partner of Spain in Africa, Nigeria was a country that his people really wanted to have a stronger partnership with going forward.
He hailed President Buhari for his leadership roles in Africa, especially in the area of strengthening democratic ideals. Currently, Spain is the largest importer of Nigerian gas and the third-largest importer of Nigerian crude, and with the visit, the two leaders hoped for bigger trade relations.
At the end of the visit, nine Agreements and Memoranda of Understanding were signed, namely: Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters; Transfer of Sentenced Persons; Extradition; Economic and Commercial Cooperation; Tourism. Others were on Sports; Health; the Fight Against COVID-19; and Science and Innovation.
