Madrid, July 7, 2022. The National Coordinator for the Ibero-American Conference, Ambassador Rodolfo Benítez Verson, director general of Multilateral Affairs and International Law of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, heads the Cuban delegation participating in the III Meeting of National Coordinators and Cooperation Officers of the Ibero-American Conference.
The meeting, which is being held in Madrid, Spain, on July 7th and 8th, debates on the work priorities of this cooperation mechanism and will initiate preparations for the XXVIII Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government, to be hosted by the Dominican Republic in March 2023, under the theme: "Together for a fair and sustainable Ibero-America".
Ambassador Benítez Verson assured that the country will maintain its traditional activism and constructive approach in Ibero-American initiatives and advocated for the strengthening of inclusive cooperation, with a view to benefiting more people, through the efficient use of available resources for South-South and Triangular Cooperation, as a complement and not a substitute for the necessary North-South Cooperation.
At the same time, he underscored the relevance of the activities developed by this mechanism in facing the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and stressed the need to continue advancing in a coordinated manner to achieve the earliest possible recovery.
The Cuban delegation greeted the new Ibero-American Secretary General, Andrés Allamand Zavala, to whom it reiterated its support in the shared purpose of strengthening the Conference as an inclusive and diverse space for cooperation and respectful political dialogue among its members.
The Cuban National Coordinator for the Ibero-American Conference was accompanied by Judith Fernández Padilla, head of Trade Policy with Latin America and the Caribbean of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Investment and focal point for Ibero-American cooperation.
The Ibero-American Conference is made up of 22 Latin American and Iberian Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking states. Cuba is a founding member since its establishment at the 1st Ibero-American Summit held in Guadalajara, Mexico, in 1991.
(Cubaminrex)