Albares welcomes the foreign ministers attending the Ibero-American Summit to promote unity in the region
News - 2026.11.4
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, poses in the group photo of the meeting of Ibero-American Foreign Ministers
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, has welcomed the ministers of foreign affairs of the 22 Ibero-American countries as part of the Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government. They are meeting in Madrid to provide the final political impetus to the work carried out during Spain's term as Pro Tempore Secretariat.
The meeting of foreign ministers is one of the key events of the Summit. It is their responsibility to build the political consensus needed to take the agreements of the Ibero-American Community forward and to prepare the decisions that will subsequently be submitted to the Heads of State and Government for consideration.
From New York to Madrid
The meeting follows on from the working breakfast held last September in New York, on the occasion of the United Nations General Assembly. On that occasion, the ministers exchanged views on the Summit's priorities, promoted new common positions for the Ibero-American Community and endorsed the inclusion of the new observers: India, Angola, Turkey and the Association of Caribbean States (ACS).
In Madrid, the foreign ministers discussed the adoption of the key documents and initiatives promoted during the Spanish Presidency.
In addition to adopting these instruments, the foreign ministers have examined the Special Communiqués that will be submitted to the Heads of State and Government.
Latin America and the challenges of multilateralism
The ministers also discussed the role of Ibero-America in an international context characterised by growing challenges to multilateralism. In this context, they reviewed the progress made in recent months towards strengthening the Community's capacity for political coordination through shared positions on issues of common interest.
Albares emphasised that "we have an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to continuing to build, together, an Ibero-American Community of Nations that is effective, dynamic and committed to meeting the needs of our citizens".
Today's meeting paves the way for the summit of Heads of State and Government, the culmination of more than two years of negotiations, ministerial meetings and technical work carried out by the Ibero-American countries to define the Community's common priorities for the coming years.
Bilateral meetings
On the fringes of the meeting, Minister Albares held bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Mexico, Ecuador, Venezuela, Costa Rica and Angola.
He has also met with the Secretary-General of the Organisation of American States (OAS) and the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
Non official translation