Cooperation between Russia and Spain

2023: Russian oil transshipment from tanker to tanker in Ceuta

The conflict in Ukraine has spawned a new oil trade hub, with the city of Ceuta, a small Spanish enclave on Africa's northern coast of just 85,000 people, becoming a key hub of operations for Russia's "ghost flotilla" by early 2023.

Russia leased and acquired a significant number of small vessels to transport crude oil. In Ceuta waters, Russian vessels are overloading crude oil to other larger vessels for transport to various ports around the world, especially in Asia.

This method allows the country to reduce the cost of delivery, bypass restrictions and simplify logistics for customers.

The result? Russian oil continues to enter the global market in large quantities (just below the pre-war level). This is despite US and EU sanctions. Even if the Kremlin has to sell its oil at a discount, it still sells a lot, Spanish media wrote.

Before the conflict, Moscow used small tankers to deliver crude directly to European refineries. But now Russia is using the coast of Ceuta as a base for sea transportation. Russia and China, in particular, seem to be organizing more exchange points in Ceuta. Meanwhile, the US is pressuring China not to make it easier for Russia to export crude oil and reduce its purchases.

2020: Reduced imports of olives and olives from Spain to Russia

In 2020, there is a significant decrease in imports of olives and olives to Russia. In January-August 2020, in relation to the same period in 2019, supplies decreased by 15% to 40.5 thousand tons. More than 95% of olives are supplied to Russia from Spain.

2019: Russia's LetterOne acquires 70% in Spanish retailer Dia

In May 2019, it became known that Mikhail Fridman's LetterOne managed to gain control over almost 70% of the capital of the Dia grocery retailer. The company is going to become its sole owner. Read more here.

2014: Spain's losses from sanctions by Russia

In the summer of 2014, in response to sanctions from the United States and the EU, Russia retaliated by restricting food exports from unfriendly countries.

According to preliminary estimates of the Spanish government, Russian "anti-sanctions" will cost local suppliers 338 million euros. This puts Spain in sixth place in the ranking of the most affected European exporters. In first place is Lithuania with 927 million euros. This is followed by Poland (841 million), Germany (595 million), the Netherlands (528 million) and Denmark (377 million). Immediately after Spain, France (244 million) and Italy (163 million) are on the list^[1].

2013

Projects in power and transport

In October 2013, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Alexei Meshkov, speaking about innovative cooperation between Russia and the European Union, emphasized fruitful work with Spanish companies in the field of power and transport.

number of serious Russian-Spanish projects in the field of energy efficiency and resource conservation, nuclear technologies, industry, transport, space technologies and programs, construction and urban studies are in quite advanced stages of implementation," he said in an interview with RIA Novosti.

this context one could mention:

• modernization of the Khabarovsk refinery with an investment of about 1 billion euros, carried out by OJSC Alliance Group and the Spanish company Teknikas Reinidas,
• comprehensive reconstruction of the 500 kilovolt open switchgear of the Botkin hydroelectric power station, on which JSC RusHydro and Iberdrola Inzhinirig and Construction are working,
• Interaction between JSC "Russian Railways" and the Spanish company "Patents Talgo" in order to modernize domestic railway transport, "- said the interlocutor^[2]

Export of food products from Spain to Russia - 581 million euros

Spanish-Russian food exports in 2013 amounted to 581.45 million euros, the Ministry of Economy said. Spain

Below is a list of products that Spain imports into Russia^[1].

• Fruits and vegetables: 312.03 million euros.
• Meat, meat and dairy products: 111.87 million euros.
• Oil, including olive: 51.18 million euros.
• Drinks: €29.73 million
• Canned food: 25.03 million euros.
• Sugar, coffee, cocoa: 18.34 million euros.
• Fish and fish products: 13.44 million euros.
• Animal feed: 5.4 million euros.
• Seeds: €1.74 million
• Cereals: 0.31 million euros.

See also

• Russian economy
• Economy of Spain

Notes