[10] In July 2021, Albares was revealed as Sánchez' pick as Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation in a cabinet reshuffle.

[11] During his first days as head of the Foreign Department, Albares managed to reduce tensions with Morocco and rebuild relations after Spain allowed, for humanitarian reasons, the Saharawi leader, Brahim Ghali, to be treated in a hospital in Logroño.

[12] Proof of this were the declarations of King Mohammed VI of Morocco, who assured in August 2021 that he wanted to "inaugurate an unprecedented stage" in relations between the two countries.

For a few months, it had been rumored that Saudi Arabia planned to make a proposal to move the headquarters to his country and that the then Secretary-General, Zurab Pololikashvili, wouldn't oppose it.

[17] Despite being only rumors and the silence of the Secretary-General in this regard,[18] the government, headed Albares, carried out a diplomatic offensive consisting of fulfilling the existing promise to give the UNWTO a new headquarters and a series of consultations with ambassadors from different countries,[19][20] which allowed Spain to guarantee a blocking minority with European and Latin American countries in the event of the Saudi proposal.

We cannot accept things that are unacceptable", and said "no one can mark who can be a member of an international organization and who cannot", in relation to the possible accession of Ukraine to NATO or the European Union.