Spain and Portugal agree to increase navigation safety on international section of Miño river

PRESS RELEASE 030

Spain and Portugal agree to increase navigation safety on international section of Miño river

• Albares and his Portuguese counterpart sign the agreement within the framework of the 36th Spanish-Portuguese Summit, focused on climate security​
  

La Rabida, 6 March 2026.- The Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, together with his Portuguese counterpart, the Minister of State and Foreign Affairs of Portugal, Paulo Rangel, has signed an agreement to guarantee navigation and recreational boating safety on the international section of the Miño river. The signing took place within the framework of the 36th Spanish-Portuguese Summit held today in La Rabida (Huelva, Spain) under the slogan 'Iberian Alliance for Climate Security'.

The agreement was prompted by the gradual increase in recreational boating on the international section of the Miño and the need to adopt common measures and join forces with a view to adequately regulating this activity.

Common measures

Spain and Portugal want to promote and adopt common measures that enhance safe navigation and promote the common, equitable and reasonable use of the waters of the international section, taking into account the particular characteristics of the Miño river and the principle of free movement. The aim is to guarantee identical conditions for water sports enthusiasts from both countries and other States, in accordance with international law.

The aim is that, with the conclusion of this agreement, the two most important activities carried out on the international sections of the two main border rivers between Spain and Portugal, the Guadiana and the Miño, will be regulated by common rules that allow for safe and sustainable fishing and navigation, under equal conditions for vessels from both countries or third countries throughout the entire length of both international sections.

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