Meeting between Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Minister and Arab Ambassadors

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, José Manuel García-Margallo, hold on December 19th an official lunch with a group of Arab ambassadors accredited in Spain. It took place at Casa Árabe headquarters in Madrid.

Guests to the lunch were Ambassador of Algeria to Spain and the dean of the group of Arab Ambassadors, Mohamed Hanèche, and representatives from the United Arab Emirates, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iraq, Mauritania, Oman, Palestine, Tunisia, Yemen and Jordan; the director of the League of Arab States Bureau and the Charges d’Affaires of Lebanon, Qatar, Morocco, Libya and Kuwait.

The Spanish representation was formed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, José Manuel García-Margallo, by Gonzalo de Benito, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs; Juan López-Dóriga, Director of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID); Ignacio Ybáñez Rubio, Director General for Maghreb, Africa, Mediterranean and Middle East; Fernando Eguidazu Palacios, Director General for International Economic Relations; María Claver, Director General of Media and Public Diplomacy; and Alberto Virella Gomes, Director of Cooperation with Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe; as well as Eduardo López Busquets, Director General of Casa Árabe.

During the meeting, Arab ambassadors thanked Mr. García-Margallo for the Spanish support to Palestine’s bid to non-member observer State status in the UN General Assembly, which was granted by majority last November 29th.
Likewise, they praised the good functioning of Casa Árabe regarding the spread of the Arab and Muslim world knowledge and they highlighted its role as an outstanding meeting point where to host bilateral and multilateral meetings with political, economic and social actors from the Arab world, as well as its various cultural activities and programs.