Eduardo González
The director of the Instituto Cervantes, Luis García Montero, and twelve directors of the institution in EU countries, in Serbia and Turkey, have been in Brussels since yesterday to learn first-hand about the work of cultural diplomacy of the European institutions and to share their work methods.
As reported by the Institute in a press release, those responsible for Cervantes will hold four meetings in the European Parliament with experts in the field of language and cultural diplomacy from the Commission and Parliament, as well as work sessions with those responsible for the network of European cultural institutes (EUNIC) and the European External Action Service (EEAS), in addition to two meetings with diplomatic representatives.
“This learning and exchange program is articulated around the added value that the Cervantes Institute brings to the European Union as a promoter of European cultural identity, both within and outside its borders,” highlighted the institution.
In total twelve directors of Cervantes centers in the European area will participate. Specifically, those from ten EU countries: Pilar Tena (Athens), Milagros Crespo (Bremen), Ana Vázquez (Brussels), Javier Valdivieso (Budapest), Ignacio Abad (Lisbon), José María Martínez (Paris), Gonzalo Manglano (Prague), Ignacio Peyró (Rome), Abel Murcia (Warsaw) and Ignacio Martínez Castignani (Vienna); and from two candidate countries for its accession: Josep María de Sagarra (Belgrade) and Fernando Martínez Vara de Rey (Istanbul).
The work agenda will begin this Tuesday, April 9, with a first session in the European Parliament, titled A union of 24 languages, Spanish in the EU and in which Ewa Sinclair, head of the Spanish Translation Unit (Parliament) will participate. European); José Luis Vega Expósito, head of the Spanish Linguistics Department, and Alexia de Francia, head of the Spanish Interpretation Department Unit (both latter from the European Commission).
Next, they will meet with Oriol Freixa Matalonga, Head of Projects at UNESCO’s representation in the European Union, to delve deeper into the strategic partnerships of both institutions.
The Instituto Cervantes delegation will meet that same afternoon with diplomats Alberto Antón Cortes, Spanish ambassador to Belgium, and Marcos Alonso Alonso, ambassador, permanent representative of Spain to the European Union. Likewise, they will go to the headquarters of the network of national cultural institutes of the European Union, where Andrew Manning, director of EUNIC, will lead the meeting on Cultural Diplomacy of the Member States. Tuesday’s activity will end with a visit to the Bozar Center (Palace of Fine Arts in Brussels), where they will share best work practices.
On the second day of work in Parliament, on Wednesday, April 10, the directors of the Instituto Cervantes will debate on the European Commission and the European agenda for culture with the Cultural Policies team of the General Directorate for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport of the European Commission, formed by Marta Jiménez and Gabrielle Bernoville.
Next, Jaume Duch Guillot, Director General of Communication and spokesperson for the European Parliament, will lead the session Communicating Europe from the European Parliament. The work program will end on Wednesday with a visit to the European External Action Service (EEAS), where Cervantes professionals will talk with Gaia Danese, in charge of Public Diplomacy and Cultural Affairs (EEAS), in the meeting titled The European action service Foreign: Cultural diplomacy and international cultural relations of the EU.
