“This is all about doing that which has not yet been done: a genuine single energy market that ensures Portugal and Spain are no longer energy islands and that we are certain will result in a safe, abundant and cheap energy supply” García-Margallo explained to the press following their meeting.


The working group, bringing together the respective authorities, operators and regulators from the three countries and is expected to be formally rubber-stamped at summit between the leaders of the three countries in March.


Both ministers made a point of stressing the good state of relations prevailing between Portugal and Spain.


Among the other issues featuring at the meeting was Spain’s decision to request diplomatic support from Portugal within the context of its membership of the United Nations Security Council between 2015 and 2016.


The two ministers said that the cooperation would focus on drawing on Portugal’s network of links with Portuguese speaking African with Machete thanking Spain for the invitation to cooperate with the Spanish mission to New York.


Machete and García-Margallo also backed deepening European Union cooperation and its capacities to deal with both the situation unfolding across Northern Africa and the Middle East and the security threat posed to the territorial integrity of the Ukraine following the Russian sponsored uprisings in Crimea and various of its eastern regions.