The Minister for Culture and Sport, Miquel Iceta, travelled to Mexico City on Wednesday to take part in the 13th Mexico-Spain Binational Commission. The meeting confirms the good state of relations in the field of culture between the two countries and makes it possible, on the one hand, to make progress in the cooperation projects currently underway and, on the other, to open up new prospects for joint work.
During the Binational Commission, Minister Iceta reported on the progress of the project that, around the frigate Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes, Spain is promoting together with Mexico and five other Latin American countries. "An initiative with which we want to disseminate our common and shared history, while at the same time contributing to the preservation of the vast underwater cultural heritage that we have in common," Iceta said. Just this week, the project gained momentum with the first meeting of the international working group to bring it to fruition.
During his speech, the Minister for Culture and Sport reaffirmed the Government of Spain desire to continue working hand in hand with Mexico and the other signatory countries of the declaration of the UNESCO Mondiacult World Conference (held in September 2022) to ensure that culture is an SDG of the 2030 Agenda.
"Our commitment to Mexican culture also includes other fundamental aspects such as cinema and audiovisuals," added the minister. Iceta is committed to increasing co-productions with Mexico and, to this end, has proposed extending the current bilateral co-production agreement to all audiovisuals, including series.
Safeguarding intangible and underwater heritage
There are many cultural issues in which Spain and Mexico share efforts and commitments, including the safeguarding of intangible and underwater heritage.
In relation to intangible heritage, Spain and Mexico have already submitted a joint international candidacy to UNESCO, that of the 'Artisanal processes for the production of the talavera pottery of Puebla and Talavera de la Reina and Puente del Arzobispo', inscribed in 2019 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. In addition, another joint international candidacy is being worked on, this time focusing on the 'Floral Carpets'.
In terms of archives, an exchange of digital files relating to the Spanish exile in Mexico, the originals of which are deposited in the state archives and in the collections of the Mexican Foreign Ministry, is planned for 2023.
Spain, Guest of Honour at the Guadalajara Book Fair 2024
The Minister for Culture and Sport took advantage of his visit to Mexico City to meet with the president of the Guadalajara International Book Fair, Raúl Padilla.
"We are very much looking forward to our participation as Guest of Honour in 2024. We are already working to ensure that the presence of Spain and its literature at this important literary event, which is the most important Spanish-language meeting in the world, is at least as successful as it was at the recent Frankfurt Book Fair", he stressed during his speech at the Mexico-Spain Binational Commission.
Non official translation
Minister Miquel Iceta, together with Ministers Reyes Maroto and Pilar Alegría and Minister José Manuel Albares, at the 13th Mexico-Spain Binational Commission