Madrid-Rabat relations strategic across the board, says Spain Ambassador

The Spanish Embassy in Morocco and the Cervantes Institute presented their cultural program for 2025 Thursday in Rabat, highlighting a year of continued cultural cooperation between the two countries.

Spain’s Ambassador to Morocco, Enrique Ojeda Villa, described the cultural partnership as part of the broader strategic relations between Spain and Morocco. He emphasized that the collaboration falls within the framework of South-South relations, as well as between Africa and Europe, fostering a cultural dialogue based on shared values of peace.

The program includes initiatives to enhance cooperation with local institutions and support cultural events in literature, music, cinema, video art, and dialogue. The Cervantes Institute plans to partner with several major festivals, including the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music, the Casablanca Video Art Festival, the International Shared Memory Festival in Nador, the Marrakech International Contemporary Dance Festival, and others across Morocco.

The institute also aims to collaborate with the Moroccan Ministry of Culture and its regional branches, the National Council of the Architects’ Union, and the High Council of the Moroccan Diaspora.

This year, the program will focus on promoting reading through events like the SIEL International Book Fair and encouraging translation between Spanish and Arabic, while celebrating linguistic and cultural diversity. Additionally, the institute will enhance Spanish-Moroccan dialogue through projects centered on shared history, such as Andalusia, flamenco, and Sephardic heritage.

Creative women, including scientists and entrepreneurs, will be prominently featured in the program, with conferences and workshops organized under the “Spanish, a language with values” initiative. Environmental challenges, including climate change and biodiversity loss, will also be integrated into the program, with a focus on sustainability through exhibitions and workshops.