King Felipe welcomes President of Senegal to Madrid

King Felipe of Spain welcomed President Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye of Senegal to Madrid on Wednesday.

The King and the President, who is on an official visit to Spain, met at the Royal Palace of Madrid for a bilateral meeting with representatives from both countries.

Afterwards, King Felipe and Queen Letizia hosted a lunch in honour of the African leader in the State Dining Room.

The King spoke ahead of the lunch where he shared Spain’s dedication to helping Senegal, “Spain wants to continue (…) contributing to the growth and prosperity of Senegal, and we can do so based on our experience in cooperation, the expertise of our companies, the harmony between our societies, and a shared understanding of the major challenges facing our world. We must understand Africa in its enormous diversity, in its inexhaustible potential, and also in its challenges.”

© Casa de SM el Rey

His Majesty announced that Senegal would be the first Sub-Saharan African country with which Spain would have a strategic partnership.

Remarks by President Faye, who is known mononymously as Diomaye, followed.

After the meal, Their Majesties and His Excellency mingled with guests in the Gasparini Room.

The President of Senegal was previously in Spain in June 2025 during the 4th United Nations International Conference on Financing for Development. Queen Letizia visited Senegal in 2017 and 2021.

Diomaye has been the President of Senegal since April 2024.