Democracy, Social
Security Dominate Ibero
American Summit Agenda
Democracy and social
security are at the top
of the agenda at the
17th Ibero American
Summit which opened
Thursday in Chile's
capital Santiago.
Enrique Iglesias,
general secretary of the
Ibero-American
organization, said at
the opening ceremony
that it is time for
Latin American countries
to work out ways to
pursue sustained
development and resolve
disputes over society,
territory, race and
gender.
"Harmonious society",
the theme of the summit,
refers to the countries'
joint efforts to fight
social inequality and
promote democracy,
Iglesias said.
Addressing the opening
ceremony, UN
Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon
said a harmonious
society is "the prime
basis for achieving the
U.N. Millennium
Development Goals", and
"crucial for solving the
problem of immigrants
and confronting the
global challenge of
climate change."
Chilean President
Michelle Bachelet Jeria
said the theme is a
manifestation of
people's shared
aspirations for a freer
and more equal society.
Leaders of Spain,
Portugal, and Andorra on
the Ibero Peninsula and
19 Spanish or
Portuguese-speaking
countries attended the
summit.
The annual summit was
first held in Mexico in
1991. |
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