Heads of State of the Ibero-American Summit begin today the path towards the renewal of the regional mechanism, hoping to hold a meeting within two years in a peaceful Colombia.
The meeting of heads of State, closed yesterday in this city, passed a statement entitled Education, Innovation and Culture in a Changing World, signed by the 22 country members of that Ibero-American mechanism.
The heads of State also passed several statements on specific topics, including one against the US economic blockade against Cuba and others on terrorism, the conflict on the Falkland Islands (Malvinas) between Argentina and Great Britain, the sovereign debt of Argentina and migrant children.
In the final session of the meeting, Vice President of Cuba Miguel Diaz-Canel asserted that Latin America is no an exception to the enormous economic and social gaps between developing and developed countries and remains the most unequal region in the world.
He said that it is not possible to lay the foundations for development without progressing in access to education, culture and innovation, three significant spheres to eradicate poverty, reduce inequalities and social exclusion rates.
In the final statement, the summit confirmed its significance as a forum to boost dialogue, cooperation and exchange, seeking to jointly accomplish new challenges with full respect for national sovereignty and international law.
The meeting also passed an Action Plan, made up of projects and programs for young people, visual arts, crafts and promotion of regional culinary strengths.
Another issue included in the Action Plan was the creation of Latin American National Libraries, a Digital Library on Latin American Heritage and a Cultural Digital Agenda.
From this event, the presidential summit changed its annual basis to biennial, as part of the renewal process agreed during the previous meeting in Panama, 2013.
The next summit will be held in Colombia in 2016.