The Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, will open the fourth edition of the “Spain in the World" seminar, to be held at Palacio de la Magdalena in Santander
, from 20 to 24 July. The four State Secretaries of the Ministry will also be participating: Diego Martínez Belío, State Secretary for Foreign and Global Affairs, Fernando Sampedro Marcos, State Secretary for the European Union, Susana Sumelzo Jordán, State Secretary for Ibero-America and the Caribbean and for Spanish around the World, and Eva Granados Galiano, State Secretary for International Cooperation.
A backdrop of a fluctuating world order
This edition of the course will be held against a backdrop of sweeping changes in the world order. The multilateral system is facing mounting pressure, levels of unrest and conflict remain high around the world, and the Plural South is demanding its own place within the global architecture. In addition, there is growing protectionism, the impact of AI and instability in the Middle East. This edition of the seminar is especially meaningful for Spanish diplomacy, as it coincides with the fortieth anniversary of Spain's accession to the European Communities, and the Thirtieth Ibero-American Summit will be held in November this year in Madrid.
Registration is now open for the seminar, through the Menéndez Pelayo International University website.
Participants
The course will bring together academics, foreign-policymakers, analysts and emerging voices to discuss the role that Spain and the European Union can play in a world that is becoming more competitive and fragmented and less predictable. The participants will include:
- Bruno Maçães and Pol Morillas, who will open the discussion on the current state of the world.
- Samir Saran, Elizabeth Sidiropoulos and Matías Spektor, who will outline the perspective of the Plural South.
- The subject of conflict zones will be examined by Comfort Ero, Andrea Rizzi, and Federico Torres Muro, with Alberto Ucelay and Ali Vaez focusing on the Middle East.
- Marcos Alonso, Jeremy Cliffe and İlke Toygür will discuss the future of the EU.
- Federico Steinberg and Fabian Zuleeg will address geoeconomic challenges.
- The Ibero-American agenda will be explored by Andrés Allamand, Marta Lagos, Valeria Moy, Gina Riaño, Javier Gassó and Carmen Fernández Torres.
- International cooperation and development finance under the Seville Plan will be reviewed by Quique Bassat, Sergio Colina, Pilar Garrido and Marta Pajarín.
- Tristan Aureau, Carme Colomina, Mauricio Favero and Álvaro Imbernón will reflect on strategic foresight and analysis of global trends.