| Honorific-Prefix: | The Most Excellent |
| The Count of Motrico | |
| Birth Date: | 1909 8, df=y |
| Birth Place: | Portugalete, Spain |
| Death Place: | Madrid, Spain |
| Nationality: | Spanish |
| Office1: | President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe |
| Term Start1: | 1981 |
| Term End1: | 1983 |
| Predecessor1: | Hans de Koster |
| Successor1: | Karl Ahrens |
| Office2: | Deputy of the General Courts For Madrid |
| Term Start2: | 1979 |
| Term End2: | 1982 |
| Office3: | Minister of Foreign Affairs |
| Term Start3: | 11 December 1975 |
| Term End3: | 7 July 1976 |
| Predecessor3: | Pedro Cortina Mauri |
| Successor3: | Marcelino Oreja |
| Office4: | Ambassador of Spain in France |
| Term Start4: | 1960 |
| Term End4: | 1964 |
| Predecessor4: | José Rojas Moreno |
| Successor4: | Carlos Miranda y Quartín |
| Office5: | Ambassador of Spain in the United States |
| Term Start5: | 1954 |
| Term End5: | 1960 |
| Predecessor5: | José Félix de Lequerica y Erquiza |
| Successor5: | Mariano de Yturralde y Orbegoso |
| Office6: | Ambassador of Spain in the Argentine Republic |
| Term Start6: | 1947 |
| Term End6: | 1950 |
| Predecessor6: | José Muñoz de Vargas |
| Successor6: | Manuel Aznar Zubigaray |
| Office7: | Major of Bilbao |
| Term Start7: | June 1937 |
| Term End7: | February 1938 |
| Predecessor7: | Ernesto Ercoera |
| Successor7: | José María González de Careaga y Urquijo |
| Office8: | Seat G of the Real Academia Española |
| Term Start8: | 10 December 1987 |
| Term End8: | 22 February 1998 |
| Predecessor8: | Manuel Díez-Alegría |
| Successor8: | José Hierro |
| Occupation: | Politician |
| Profession: | Lawyer |
José María de Areilza y Martínez-Rodas, Count of Motrico (3 August 1909, in Portugalete, Vizcaya – 22 February 1998, in Madrid) was a Spanish politician, engineer and ambassador.
During the Spanish civil war he became Mayor of the city of Bilbao in 1938. Between 1947 and 1964 he served as Spanish Ambassador to Buenos Aires, Washington DC and Paris. In 1964 he resigned from his office and was asked by the King in exile to lead the monarchist opposition to general Franco, as Secretary General of his Private Council. Between 1975 and 1976 he was the first Foreign Affairs Minister of the new King Juan Carlos I. In 1976, along with Pío Cabanillas he founded the short-lived People's Party, which later became part of the UCD, although he left after disagreements with Adolfo Suárez. In 1979 he was elected to the Congress of Deputies for Madrid district for the Coalición Democrática. In 1981 he became President of the Assembly of the Council of Europe and in 1997 he was elected member of the Spanish Royal Academy. He wrote over 3000 newspaper articles and 12 books. His wife died in 1991.[1]