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“Dialogo mediterraneo italo-spagnolo”: Med-Or and Real Instituto Elcano seminar in Rome
The event, held in Rome at the headquarters of Med-Or Italian Foundation, brought together Italian and Spanish institutional representatives and experts for a strategic discussion on the Mediterranean, the Global South and Euro-Atlantic cooperation
On 18 November 2025, the seminar “Dialogo mediterraneo italo-spagnolo” was held in Rome at the headquarters of the Med-Or Italian Foundation. It was jointly promoted with the Real Instituto Elcano in Madrid, with the support of the Spanish Embassy in Italy and the Italian Embassy in Spain. The meeting was an important opportunity to discuss Italy and Spain's perspectives on some of the main international issues, with particular attention to the geopolitical dynamics of the Euro-Mediterranean region, relations with the Global South and the prospects for Euro-Atlantic cooperation.
The event was opened with a welcome address by Alfredo Mantovano, Undersecretary of State to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and Delegated Authority for the Security of the Republic, followed by introductory speeches by Marco Minniti, Med-Or Chairman, and Ana Palacio, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Spain and member of the Med-Or International Board.
The seminar was divided into four round tables. The first, dedicated to the theme “The Mediterranean (MENA) and the challenges of global security”, explored the evolution of security in the Mediterranean region and its implications for European stability, with contributions from Claudio Galzerano, Carmen González Enríquez, María Teresa Nonay, Lorenzo Ortona and Marco Piredda, moderated by Diego Caballero-Vélez. The second session, entitled “The West and the Global South. An indispensable dialogue”, addressed the growing role of Africa, Latin America and Asia in the new global balance, with contributions from Iliana Olivié, Erika Rodríguez Pinzón and Umberto Tavolato, moderated by Ginevra Leganza. The event continued with the round table discussion “The new transatlantic relationship: rebuilding or renewing the relationship between the two sides of the Atlantic”, during which Carlota García Encina, Monica Maggioni, Félix Sanz Roldán and Enrico Savio discussed the future prospects for transatlantic cooperation, coordinated by María Dolores de Cospedal. The final session, “Europe and Latin America: how to cooperate in a changing world”, analysed the opportunities for partnership between the European Union and Latin American countries, with the participation of Nicolò Mardegan, Fernando Navarrete, Ernesto Talvi and Francesco Zinni, moderated by Andrea Bairati.
The day ended with speeches by Riccardo Guariglia, Secretary General of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Giuseppe Buccino Grimaldi, Italian Ambassador to Spain, Miguel Fernández-Palacios, Spanish Ambassador to Italy, Marco Minniti and Charles Powell, Director of the Real Instituto Elcano.
