<h6><strong>The Diplomat</strong></h6> <h4><strong>The Canary Island of Tenerife will host the Annual Meeting of Directors of the Instituto Cervantes from July 27 to 31. This is the first time the Canary Islands has held this event, which will bring together nearly 100 directors from the institution and is regularly attended by Queen Letizia.</strong></h4> The director of the Institute, Luis García Montero, signed the collaboration agreement this past Friday in the Aula Magna of the Central Building of the University of La Laguna with the three island institutions that will collaborate in the organization and holding of this meeting: the aforementioned University of La Laguna, the City Council of San Cristóbal de La Laguna, and the CajaCanarias Foundation. During the signing ceremony, the rector of the University of Tenerife, Francisco García Rodríguez, expressed his pride in "hosting the Annual Meeting of Directors of the Instituto Cervantes" and recalled that the Canary Islands are the "origin of the Spanish language model that spread throughout the New World." He also emphasized that the islands play a strategic role in Spain's relationship with Africa, and that "the Instituto Cervantes can be a very important partner" in this regard. For his part, García Montero explained that this annual meeting of the Instituto Cervantes, where nearly one hundred directors and management teams meet to exchange experiences and explore future possibilities, means "making the Institute's network the best ambassador for Tenerife and the Canary Islands in the world." "Being at the University of La Laguna means being at one of the leading universities in the Spanish community, which will soon, in 2027, celebrate its centenary," he added. The president of the CajaCanarias Foundation, Margarita Ramos Quintana, described it as "a true achievement" that the Instituto Cervantes has made the decision "to choose these islands for its meeting, something we receive with gratitude and as a tremendous opportunity." Since 2005 (except in 2020 due to the pandemic), the Instituto Cervantes has held annual meetings with the directors of its centers abroad and its entire management team, where they discuss their lines of action for the international promotion of the Spanish language and culture. This will be the first time it is held in the Canary Islands. So far, eleven autonomous communities have hosted these sessions: Andalusia, Catalonia, Castilla y León, Castilla-La Mancha, Madrid, Cantabria, Extremadura, La Rioja, Galicia, the Basque Country, the Valencian Community, the Principality of Asturias, and Catalonia.
