Eduardo González
Bilateral collaboration in the face of the “convulsive” international environment, cooperation in Security and Defense in the face of “global threats”, university exchanges and the use of new technologies are the main topics to be addressed at the twenty-third edition of the Spain-Japan Forum, to be held in Salamanca between November 28 and 30.
The Forum, the main platform for dialogue between representatives of civil society and the Administration of Spain and Japan, is organized jointly by the Spain Japan Council Foundation and the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of both countries. In addition, this year’s edition will have the prominent participation of the University of Salamanca, which this year celebrates its Year of Japan. This is the second time that the Castilian-Leonese city will host the main public diplomacy event between Spain and Japan after more than two decades, since Salamanca also hosted the fifth edition of the Forum in 2001.
Apart from that, the Salamanca Forum will be the first without former Foreign Minister Josep Piqué, who co-chaired this instrument of dialogue between 2010 and 2022. In October 2022, just a few months before his death, he handed over the Spanish co-presidency to Ángeles Delgado, CEO of Fujitsu in Spain and president of the Spain Japan Council Foundation. In fact, Wednesday, the most important day of the event, will begin with an opening ceremony and a tribute to Josep Piqué.
The Forum will begin tomorrow with a reception at the Salamanca City Hall and a dinner at the Casino de Salamanca, but the main day will be Wednesday, which will take place at the headquarters of the International Spanish Language Center and will feature four sessions.
The first session will be dedicated to Spain, Japan and the new balances of power, which will address the current turbulent times (with special attention to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the growing rivalry between China and the United States, “with implications of particular relevance in the Indo-Pacific”) and the ways of collaboration between “Japan and Spain to navigate in this environment”.
The second session will deal with Cooperation in Security and Defense: facing global threats and will address the increase in cooperation between Japan and Spain in this field, both bilaterally (Japan has opened a Defense Department in Spain) and within the framework of the European Union and NATO.
The third session will address ways to Enhance mutual knowledge: the role of the University, with special attention to university exchanges and cooperation between Spanish and Japanese universities. Finally, the theme of the fourth session will be Towards the resolution of social challenges through the use of new technologies and will share the experiences of Japanese and Spanish companies on issues such as artificial intelligence, agriculture and mobility. The day will conclude with the Spain Japan Council Foundation Awards Ceremony and a closing ceremony and dinner.
Among the various speakers who will participate in the forum are Spain’s State Secretary for Foreign and Global Affairs, Ángeles Moreno Bau; the president of the Consejo España Japan Foundation and CEO of Fujitsu in Spain (which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year), Ángeles Delgado; and the chairman of the board of directors of Sumitomo Life (one of the most important life insurance companies in Japan), Yoshio Sato.
Other participants will include Miguel Otero, senior researcher at the Elcano Royal Institute; General Francisco José Dacoba, director of the Spanish Institute for Strategic Studies; Kimitake Nakamura, deputy director general for European Affairs at the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Paulino García, advisor to the secretary general for Defense Policy for Defense Diplomacy; Tomohisa Takei, former chief of staff of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Forces; and Ricardo Rivero, rector of the University of Salamanca.
