Ibero-American summit to focus on youth, entrepreneurship, education

The 25th Ibero-American Summit would be held on October 28-29, in Cartagena, Colombia, under the theme of "Youth, Entrepreneurship and Education," Mexican Foreign Minister Claudia Ruiz Massieu said here on Monday.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the forum on Ibero-America at the College of Mexico, the foreign minister added that the Ibero-American Summits are increasingly important for south-south cooperation.

According to Rebeca Grynspan, Secretary General of the Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB), who also attended the forum, poverty has fallen from over 50 percent to 28 percent and infant mortality rate has fallen by two-thirds since the creation of the Ibero-American Conference in 1991.

Coordination across the region contributes to these great advances. It also makes Latin America a more important player worldwide and gives "more opportunities" to young people, she said.

The Chinese economy now contributes greatly to the Latin American GDP growth, in terms of foreign investment, said Grynspan, adding that the Asian giant is now larger than the 22 Ibero-American countries combined.

"While the region is not free of political uncertainty ... it has institutions that are becoming ever more solid in a multi-polar world," she said.

"Unfortunately, we cannot say that multilateralism has won, although the only response is to continue pushing for a more peaceful world," she added. Endi