After the proposal was approved at the latest Board meeting, held on 12 December, the third edition of the Spain India Council Foundation Award is announced. This award responds to a need to recognise the work of those people and institutions who have stood out for their contribution to bilateral relations between Spain and India in different fields and for initiatives to foster mutual knowledge. The application period opens on February 2 and closes on February 28, and applicants must fill in the form available on the Documents section and send it to colaboradores.pzj@maec.es.
In its first edition, the award went to Indian orchestra conductor Zubin Mehta, and in the second, to former world chess champion Viswanathan Anand. In both cases, the values represented by their careers were acknowledged as well as their status as public figures as a symbol for rapprochement between Spain and India. The awarding ceremonies were attended by high-profile figures, such as Her Majesty Queen Sofía, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, José Manuel García Margallo; the President of the Valencian Government, Alberto Fabra; the Ambassador of Spain to India, Gustavo de Arístegui, and several SICF Board members from some of the most salient companies in the country.
The final decision for the award (which will consist in a sculpture named ‘Fire-Wind’ by artist Enrique Mesonero) will be made by the Foundation's Board as proposed by the Executive Committee.
