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King Felipe VI called for greater European solidarity in safeguarding the European Union's external borders on Tuesday, using a state dinner for French President Emmanuel Macron to spotlight the migration crisis that unfolded this summer in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta.
Speaking at the Royal Palace in Madrid during a banquet honoring Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, the Spanish monarch described the situation in Ceuta as unacceptable and said Spain could not be left to shoulder the burden alone.
"We must be more effective and show greater solidarity in protecting the EU's external border," Felipe VI said, adding that Spain "cannot face alone a responsibility that belongs to everyone."
The remarks referred to a surge of migration into Ceuta, a Spanish territory on the North African coast, in late July, when Spanish authorities reported that 70,000 people crossed into the enclave from Morocco.
Ceuta, along with the nearby territory of Melilla, has long served as one of the few land borders between Africa and the European Union, making it a recurring flashpoint for large-scale crossing attempts.
The king's remarks came as Macron began a two-day state visit to Spain. He and his wife were welcomed earlier Tuesday by Felipe VI and Queen Letizia at the Royal Palace, where the French president was received with full military honors.
Felipe VI's dinner speech also touched on areas he said Spain and France should deepen cooperation, including energy interconnections, rail infrastructure, industry and defense.
The visit unfolded alongside a dispute over the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation between the two countries.
Spain's Senate rejected the treaty earlier Tuesday, days after the country's Constitutional Court unanimously ruled that the agreement was compatible with the Spanish Constitution.
Felipe VI did not directly address the Senate vote in his speech, according to the El Pais newspaper. Macron, for his part, said he remained confident the agreement would eventually be secured.
The state visit is scheduled to continue Wednesday with an economic and investment forum, followed by a meeting between Macron and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.
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