The Spanish Embassy welcomed us warmly and opened with a briefing from the Police attaché, who pointed out positive aspects in Spain’s bilateral relations with Morocco. Between sips of coffee, our team’s Spanish-speakers translated his words from Castellano to English.
Upon the arrival of Isidro, the political counselor, English resumed as the official language, allowing our fellow colleagues to ask all sort of questions. He explained that Spanish-Moroccan cooperation is often closer and more effective than with other European states.
From there, our group enjoyed a relaxing lunch before joining other members of the cohort for briefings at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The day followed with drinks at the Hassam Hotel. The hotel’s elegant decor made us all feel a bit James Bondish.
A collegial group of U.S. diplomats joined us for dinner at a traditional Moroccan restaurant, and we managed to discuss our research with them over Moroccan wine from the Benslimane region.
The van ride back to Casablanca was smooth, with blue neon lights inside the van and Led Zeppelin/Steely Dan soundtrack. A great day had a perfect ending, when colleagues met at the hotel bar to exchange impressions, jokes, and expectations for the rest of the week.
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