Pedro Sánchez: "The EU-CELAC Summit will be a historic opportunity to continue fostering and perfecting our multilateral relationship"

Santo Domingo (Republic Dominican)

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, is in Santo Domingo on the occasion of the 28th Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government, one of the most important international events for Spain.

During the summit, a joint declaration that refers to a number of issues was adopted. In the current context, the document begins by reaffirming the principles of the UN Charter, peace and security, sovereign equality and the territorial integrity of states. It also addresses issues such as the value of Spanish-Portuguese bilingualism, the mobilisation of new financial resources, the fight for gender equality and equity, the reduction of inequalities and respect for democracy and the rule of law. The declaration also includes a commitment to safe and orderly migration, the importance of knowledge and the role of rules-based multilateral trade.

In his address to the plenary this morning, Pedro Sánchez stressed that Spain and the Ibero-American region are united by a strong sense of community, emphasising that the current situation makes the concerted action that characterises this forum more necessary than ever. "We live in times of great uncertainty," he said, referring to the pandemic and the crisis caused by Russia's aggression in Ukraine. "It is also a time of great transformations, and it is now that Ibero-America must redefine its strategy, looking towards the future".

The President of the Government addressed the priorities of the summit: justice, sustainability and greater geostrategic weight for the region. He stressed that progress in constructing a fairer Ibero-America for all citizens in the process of transforming our economies and societies is a must. "To this effect, I have stressed here that fiscal policy is a crucial tool to reduce inequality through redistributive measures, to also have the resources that governments need to protect those who need it most," he underlined.

He highlighted sustainability as the second objective, stressing that Spain has lent its support to the Ibero-American Environmental Charter. "It is an important document that aims to achieve ambitious national commitments to sustainable development", explained the president. The leaders also adopted the Critical Path for achieving food security in Ibero-America, which focuses on transforming food production systems, strengthening supply chains and developing rural digital infrastructure. The summit also served to approve the Ibero-American Charter of Principles and Digital Rights, "an initiative I proposed when we celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Ibero-American Summits two years ago", recalled the president. "It is also a reference document for the process of digitalisation of our societies to focus on people and their development".

President Sánchez addressed plans to move towards a more strategic Ibero-America, as the third major priority of the meeting in Santo Domingo. In this regard, during the plenary session, Spain defended the fact that Ibero-America must have a voice in the world and that it must continue to pay attention to the issues that define global current affairs. The president called for greater involvement in the conflict in Ukraine and in defence of the fundamental principles that Putin's Russia is violating.

The EU's High Representative for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, took part in the summit for the first time today. In this respect, President Sánchez stressed that his presence has been "key" to relaunching relations between the EU and Latin America and the Caribbean. In this context, Pedro Sánchez stressed that one of Spain's main messages at the summit was precisely the importance of strengthening the link between the two sides of the Atlantic, and of defending together shared values "such as democracy, multilateralism, the international order based on rules, the rule of law and social justice". The President emphasised that Europe and Ibero-America are similar and economically complementary regions, stressing that the needs arising from the digital and green transition and from the current reconfiguration of value chains now require a strengthening of our economic and trade links. "We need each other, we complement each other and we strengthen each others' economies," said President Sánchez. In this context, he recalled the relevance of the upcoming EU-CELAC Summit, which will be held during the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU for the first time since 2015, a historic opportunity to continue fostering and perfecting this multilateral relationship.

Meetings with the presidents of Costa Rica, Ecuador and Argentina

In the margins of this summit, the President of the Government of Spain held bilateral meetings with the leaders of Costa Rica and Ecuador. During the first one with Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves, whom he had not previously had the opportunity to meet in person, both leaders agreed to continue strengthening ties between the two countries.

With regard to the meeting with the President of Ecuador, Guillermo Lasso, who has taken over the Presidency pro Tempore to organise the next Ibero-American Summit in 2024, Pedro Sánchez had the opportunity to address various issues of common interest and offered his counterpart Spain's support to ensure that the next summit is a success.

The President of the Government also held a trilateral meeting with the President of Argentina, Alberto Fernández, and the EU's High Representative for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, with the aim of promoting the EU-Mercosur agreement.

On Sunday morning, the President of the Government will meet with the President of the Dominican Republic, to whom he will convey his thanks and congratulations for the role of host during the Pro Tempore Presidency of this summit.

Non official translation