Editing Spain (section)

=== Foreign relations ===
{{Main|Foreign relations of Spain}}
[[File:Predsednik vlade na 3. zasedanju EPS in neformalnem zasedanju Evropskega sveta v Granadi v Španiji (53236972766).jpg|thumb|[[3rd European Political Community Summit]], [[Court of the Lions]], [[Alhambra]], [[Granada]].]]
[[File:Barcelona_Palau_Reial_de_Pedralbes_(51135781861).jpg|thumb|[[Royal Palace of Pedralbes]] in Barcelona, headquarters of the [[Union for the Mediterranean]]]]

After the return of democracy following the death of [[Francisco Franco|Franco]] in 1975, Spain's [[foreign policy]] priorities were to break out of the diplomatic isolation of the [[Spain under Franco|Franco years]] and expand [[diplomatic relations]], enter the [[European Union|European Community]], and define security relations with the West.

As a member of [[NATO]] since 1982, Spain has established itself as a participant in multilateral international security activities. Spain's EU membership represents an important part of its foreign policy. Even on many international issues beyond western Europe, Spain prefers to coordinate its efforts with its EU partners through the European political co-operation mechanisms.{{vague|date=March 2015}}

Spain has maintained its special relations with [[Hispanic America]] and the [[Philippines]]. Its policy emphasises the concept of an [[Ibero-America]]n community, essentially the renewal of the concept of ''"[[Hispanidad]]"'' or ''"[[Hispanism]]o"'', as it is often referred to in English, which has sought to link the Iberian Peninsula with Hispanic America through language, commerce, history and culture. It is fundamentally "based on shared values and the recovery of democracy."<ref>Garcia Cantalapiedra, David, and Ramon Pacheco Pardo, ''Contemporary Spanish Foreign Policy'' (Routledge, 2014). Pg. 126</ref>

The country is involved in a number of [[Foreign relations of Spain#Disputes|territorial disputes]]. [[Disputed status of Gibraltar|Spain claims Gibraltar]], an [[British Overseas Territories|Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom]], in the southernmost part of the Iberian Peninsula.<ref>{{cite web

|url = http://daccess-dds-ny.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/218/33/IMG/NR021833.pdf?OpenElement
|title = Resolution 2070: Question of Gibraltar
|date = 16 December 1965
|format = PDF
|publisher = United Nations
|access-date = 19 February 2010
|url-status=dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110503183726/http://daccess-dds-ny.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/218/33/IMG/NR021833.pdf?OpenElement
|archive-date = 3 May 2011
|df = dmy-all
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
|url=http://daccess-dds-ny.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/005/34/IMG/NR000534.pdf?OpenElement
|title=Resolution 2231: Question of Gibraltar
|date=20 December 1966
|format=PDF
|publisher=United Nations
|access-date=19 February 2010
|url-status=dead
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110503183729/http://daccess-dds-ny.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/005/34/IMG/NR000534.pdf?OpenElement
|archive-date=3 May 2011
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.maec.es/subwebs/Embajadas/Londres/es/MenuPpal/Gibraltar/Documents/000.001.002.003%20Título.%20Prefacio.Índice.%20Informe%20(27.02.08).doc|title=La cuestión de Gibraltar|publisher=Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Spain|date=January 2008|access-date=3 January 2010|language=es|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090529192351/http://www.maec.es/subwebs/Embajadas/Londres/es/MenuPpal/Gibraltar/Documents/000.001.002.003%20T%C3%ADtulo.%20Prefacio.%C3%8Dndice.%20Informe%20%2827.02.08%29.doc|archive-date=29 May 2009 }}</ref> Another dispute surrounds the [[Savage Islands]]; Spain claims that they are rocks rather than islands, and therefore does not accept the Portuguese [[Exclusive Economic Zone]] (200 nautical miles) generated by the islands.<ref>{{citation|url=https://www.un.org/Depts/los/clcs_new/submissions_files/prt44_09/esp_re_prt2013.pdf|title=Spain's letter to the UN|publisher=UN|date=September 2013|language=es|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170525185334/http://www.un.org/Depts/los/clcs_new/submissions_files/prt44_09/esp_re_prt2013.pdf|archive-date=25 May 2017}}</ref><ref>[http://www.theportugalnews.com/news/spain-disputes-portugal-islands/29269 "Spain disputes Portugal islands"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130908225016/http://www.theportugalnews.com/news/spain-disputes-portugal-islands/29269|date=8 September 2013 }} ''[[The Portugal News]]''. Retrieved 9 September 2013.</ref> Spain claims sovereignty over the [[Perejil Island]], a small, uninhabited rocky [[islet]] located in the South shore of the [[Strait of Gibraltar]]; it was the subject of an armed incident between Spain and Morocco in 2002. Morocco claims the Spanish cities of [[Ceuta]] and [[Melilla]] and the ''[[plazas de soberanía]]'' islets off the northern coast of Africa. Portugal does not recognise Spain's sovereignty over the territory of [[Olivenza]].<ref>{{Cite journal|title=La cuestión de Olivenza, a la luz del Derecho internacional público|last=Fernández Liesa|first=Carlos R.|publisher=Ayuntamiento de Olivenza|year=2004|pages=234–235|journal=Encuentros: Revista luso-española de investigadores en Ciencias humanas y sociales. Separatas|issue=4|format=PDF|url=http://e-archivo.uc3m.es/bitstream/handle/10016/17476/cuestion_fernandez_E_2004.pdf?sequence=1|issn=1138-6622|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140829092427/http://e-archivo.uc3m.es/bitstream/handle/10016/17476/cuestion_fernandez_E_2004.pdf?sequence=1|archive-date=29 August 2014}}</ref>