Sánchez inaugurates the 10th Conference of Ambassadors this Thursday amid Trump’s international offensive

Eduardo González The Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, will inaugurate the 10th Conference of Spanish Ambassadors this Thursday, amidst international tensions following the United States' attack on Venezuela to capture President Nicolás Maduro and in the midst of threats from US President Donald Trump to annex Greenland, threats that have intensified after the assault on Caracas. Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares will convene the Spanish ambassadors accredited abroad on January 8 and 9 at the Ministry's headquarters in Plaza del Marqués de Salamanca. The event, organized under the theme "Spain, a Global Player," will include the participation of Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar and will be closed by King Felipe VI. According to a press release from the Ministry, the event will again include the participation of several members of the Government, and the Nigerian Foreign Minister, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, will also participate in the discussions as a guest. Over the two days, Spanish ambassadors accredited worldwide will reflect on the challenges of the international political situation in the new year, in which Spain “will continue to seek peace in Ukraine and Gaza with solutions based on respect for international law and will continue to defend the European project of peace, democracy, and coexistence upon which the European Union is founded.” “Spain’s role in the world and its international policy with its own voice and identity will shape the discussions for a year in which our foreign policy will be marked by two major international events: the Ibero-American Summit in Madrid and the International Conference on Feminist Foreign Policy,” it continued. The minister will also unveil a plaque in recognition of the work of the organization Women for Afghanistan, in the presence of its president, Fawzia Koofi, who will also speak at the opening ceremony. Working groups will also be organized with the participation of the Secretaries of State from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Undersecretary, and the directors of AECID and the Cervantes Institute. The Conferences of Ambassadors began in Spain in 2001, under the government of José María Aznar, with a format similar to that used in other countries in the region. For a time, they were held annually. In 2008, under Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, they ceased, partly due to the cost of bringing all the ambassadors to Spain during a period of economic crisis. The then Minister of Foreign Affairs, Arancha González Laya, convened the 2021 Conference with the intention of resuming the annual schedule, but due to ongoing COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, only a few ambassadors were able to attend in Madrid, while the rest had to participate via videoconference. The meeting was not held in 2022, and in 2023, Albares reinstated it. They are usually held at the beginning of the year, taking advantage of the fact that many ambassadors are already in Spain for their Christmas holidays. The State Foreign Service comprises all the State institutions and bodies abroad that operate under the authority and coordination of the ambassador. It includes Permanent Diplomatic Missions to States, Permanent Representations of Spain to International Organizations, especially the European Union, Special Diplomatic Missions, Temporary Delegations, and Consular Offices.

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