December 28, 2015
Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Abelardo Moreno said that the 33-country bloc seeks to establish new ways to reduce inequality in the region.
“There are great expectations. The CELAC is our mechanism for political cooperation that consolidated largely due to the summits held so far,” he said according to Prensa Latina news agency.
He considered it necessary to address at the next CELAC summit –in which Dominican Republic is set to be transferred pro tempore presidency of the body from Ecuador– issues such as the eradication of poverty and ways to facilitate the development of political consensus, particularly in international organizations.
“Amid the regional diversity, the most important key points are development and the need to eradicate poverty, despite the difficult times experienced in the region, considering the low GDP (gross domestic product),” Moreno said.
The Third Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, held earlier this year in Costa Rica, ended with a firm commitment to continue to eradicate poverty, hunger and inequality in the region, and maintain unity in diversity.
There, the 33 countries of the regional bloc passed the Political Declaration of Bethlehem, which collects in 94 points the regional commitment to multilateralism, dialogue among nations, peaceful settlement of disputes, and full respect for the United Nations Charter and international law.
Similarly, the Heads of State and Government of the CELAC approved the Plan of Action 2015, aimed at promoting dialogue, exchange of experience and successful cooperation with sub-regional integration initiatives in Family Farming.
CELAC is a mechanism whose primary mission is to promote regional integration and sustainable development.
This integration body brings together about 600 million people in 33 countries: Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Costa Rica, Cuba , Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Commonwealth of Dominica and Saint Christopher and Nevis.
In 2014, at the summit held in Havana, Cuba, the CELAC was declared a territory of peace and began the rapprochement with China, through the establishment of the China-CELAC forum, which consolidated itself during the year.
http://www.avn.info.ve/contenido/fourth-celac-summit-be-held-january-27-quito
Source: Venezuelan News Agency