21-07-2025
Granada hosts conference on cultural diplomacy between Morocco and Spain
The city of Granada, Spain, recently hosted an international conference on cultural diplomacy with Morocco, held on July 18. Organized by the Moroccan League of Young Newspaper Publishers, the event focused on «the role of cultural, artistic, and media diplomacy in building bridges between countries», with Morocco and Spain presented as a case study.
Held at the Euro-Arab Foundation for Higher Studies, the gathering brought together artists, intellectuals, journalists, and filmmakers from both countries to explore how culture can be used to promote coexistence and mutual understanding. According to local media outlet Granada Es Noticia, the program included various activities, such as roundtable discussions and the launch of a promotional teaser for the film Camino/Tariq, a Moroccan-Spanish co-production set to be filmed in both countries.
María Ortega Castillo, Deputy Mayor of Víznar and Municipal Councilor for Culture, Education, and Equality, expressed her municipality's institutional support for the initiative. She remarked that such meetings «demonstrate the importance of cultural diplomacy at a time when hatred, marginalization, and racism are increasingly present in our society».
Speaking to Granada Es Noticia, she also stressed the need to «build bridges and strengthen what unites us as peoples with a shared history, culture, and traditions». Spanish filmmaker María Casado echoed this sentiment, calling cultural and artistic diplomacy «pillars of bilateral cooperation».
As director of the Camino/Tariq project, Casado added that the co-production «symbolizes a commitment not only to culture, but also to diversity, shared identity, and Mediterranean heritage».
Mohamed Fajri, President of the Moroccan League of Young Newspaper Publishers, emphasized the role of cultural soft power, particularly in times of tension. «We must now involve artists, intellectuals, and communicators in this shared effort», he stated.
The event seeks to lay the groundwork for long-term cooperation between Morocco and Spain, and to foster greater understanding between the Arab world and Europe.
