 An additional protocol to the pact was signed on 29 July 1940, following the fall of France, which reinforced the neutrality aspects of the treaty and required consultations and synchronisation of strategies to ensure common interests were protected.In December 1942, as the outcome of the war seemed to have turned to favour the Allies, Spanish Foreign Minister Francisco Gómez-Jordana Sousa announced the Iberian Bloc, seeking the maintain the neutrality of Spain and Portugal.Throughout the Second World War, the pact was a significant factor in allowing Spain to withstand pressure from Germany to join the Axis powers, and it allowed Portugal more freedom with regard to its alliance with Britain.