Albares and the Foreign Ministry leadership will participate in the 4th edition of “Spain in the World” in Santander

The Diplomat The Magdalena Palace in Santander will host the fourth edition of “Spain in the World” from July 20 to 24. Organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in collaboration with the Menéndez Pelayo International University (UIMP), the event will be attended by Minister José Manuel Albares and the rest of the Ministry's leadership. According to the UIMP, the meeting is presented as “a leading forum for analysis and strategic debate on foreign policy.” The seminar will bring together academics, foreign policy officials, analysts from international think tanks, and emerging voices for five days to examine major transformations in the international order, such as competition between great powers, increased conflict, the questioning of multilateralism, the rise of protectionism and the instrumentalization of interdependencies, and the consolidation of the rise of the Plural Global South. “In this context, Spain and the European Union face pressing challenges: advancing towards strategic autonomy that strengthens their sovereignty and protects democracy, and contributing to the reform of the multilateral system to make it more inclusive and effective,” the organizers continue. Furthermore, the 2026 edition coincides with “two particularly significant milestones”: the fortieth anniversary of Spain’s accession to the European Communities, “an opportunity to rethink the future of European integration,” and the preparations for the 30th Ibero-American Summit, to be held in Madrid in November. “Instability in the Middle East will also be a focus of attention, underscoring the need for active diplomacy that fosters negotiated solutions,” they add. The seminar will also examine Spain’s role as a bridge between Europe and Latin America, its relationship with the Global South, and its contribution to international cooperation and development financing within the framework of the Seville Plan. Experts in technology, geoeconomics, and foresight will offer perspectives on the trends redefining the map of global power in an increasingly competitive and uncertain environment. Confirmed speakers include José Manuel Albares; Diego Martínez Belío, State Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Global Affairs; Fernando Sampedro, State Secretary for the European Union; Susana Sumelzo, State Secretary for Ibero-America and the Caribbean and Spanish in the World; Eva Granados Galiano, State Secretary for International Cooperation; Andrés Allamand, Ibero-American Secretary General; Marcos Alonso, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Spain to the EU; Federico Torres Muro, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Spain to NATO and Director of Spain in the World; and Carmen Fernández Torres, Ambassador on Special Mission for the Ibero-American Summits, among many others.

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