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Last Updated: Feb 6, 2017 - 2:32:04 PM |
María Angela Holguín, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Colombia
Date: January 15, 2012
Place: Washington, DC
Credit: Maria Patricia Leiva/OAS
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The
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Colombia, María Ángela Holguín, today
presented to the Permanent Representative of Panama to the Organization
of American States (OAS), Guillermo Cochez, the Chair of the Summits of
the Americas, in the presence of the OAS Secretary General, Jose Miguel
Insulza, in a ceremony held at the headquarters of the hemispheric
organization in Washington, DC.
During the ceremony, Foreign Minister Holguin said the
government of her country "proposed a summit to build upon the
individual and collective strengths of our countries: to promote
cooperation in areas of mutual interest such as security, the
alleviation of poverty and inequality, and the reduction of the risk of
disasters, which were the cornerstones of the hemispheric meeting of
last April."
"The Sixth Summit of the Americas adopted 47 mandates that
constitute a concrete and achievable roadmap toward our objective of
achieving higher levels of development and prosperity for the peoples of
our countries. The mandates resulted from the exchange of open and
frank ideas that characterized the stage of previous negotiations," she
said.
The Colombian Foreign Minister stressed that the meeting was
characterized by dialogue and sincerity. "Cartagena offered us a stage
to openly express our aspirations, our similarities and our differences.
The heads of state and government discussed issues that had never
appeared on the agendas of regional or subregional meetings. With that,
the dialogue in the Americas gained a new dimension," she said.
Likewise, the Foreign Minister of the government of President
Juan Manuel Santos highlighted the "broad participation of social actors
in the Summit" and praised in particular the support of the OAS and
other international and regional organizations that make up the process.
In closing she offered the cooperation of the government of her country
to Panama in the organization of the 2015 Summit.
For his part, the OAS Secretary General, José Miguel Insulza,
highlighted the importance for the organization of the Cartagena meeting
in which the OAS was given an important number of mandates, among which
he noted "in particular the discussion of new alternative scenarios to
address the drug problem, that our countries share, which will be
compiled in a report that we expect to deliver by the end of this
trimester.”
Panama Assumes Chair of Summits Process from Colombia
Date: January 15, 2012
Place: Washington, DC
Credit: Maria Patricia Leiva/OAS
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Regarding the Panama Summit, Secretary General Insulza said its
success "will depend on whether we are able to face the political
obstacles that still exist to the full unity of the hemisphere, to
discuss the issues that are present in the hemispheric agenda and
demonstrate the political will to translate that agenda beyond the
issues that still divide us."
Extending congratulations to the host of the next Summit, the
Secretary General anticipated that Panama "will continue to strengthen
the process as a natural space at the highest level to discuss policy
issues of hemispheric interest, to talk with the utmost frankness about
the core issues and make decisions to address the current and future
challenges facing the countries of the Americas."
"I am certain that we are going to move ahead with this process,
and I reiterate the support of the OAS to Panama in the preparation of
the Summit." The head of the hemispheric organization closed by
expressing his wish that "the Panama Summit will mark the moment of the
full unity of the Americas that we all desire."
In his address, Ambassador Cochez, who received the chair on
behalf of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Panama, Rómulo Roux,
recognized Colombia as an "ally in the struggle for progress in the
hemisphere" and acknowledged in the neighboring country its "commitment
shown in the Cartagena Summit for the establishment and achievement of
the goals designated as part of this beneficial process."
"We hope to continue in this effort and we will do our best to
ensure that this forum is a great success, and therefore continue the
fight to combat current and future challenges," he said. The Panamanian
diplomat also expressed his hope that the 2015 Summit would include a
high presence of social actors and continue the success of the Cartagena
meeting.
"We are counting on the strong support from Colombia to make
this a successful Summit where all the 35 Member Countries are present
and thus overcome inequality and strengthen and defend democracy," he
concluded.
At the same meeting, the Permanent Representative of Colombia to
the OAS, Andrés González presented the statue of "Inukshuk," which
represents the transfer of leadership to the country that will host the
next Summit. The Colombian city of Cartagena hosted the Sixth Summit in
2012, and Panama City will host the Seventh Summit in 2015.
Panama was chosen to host the Seventh Summit of the Americas by a
resolution of the OAS General Assembly held in June of 2012 in the
Bolivian city of Cochabamba.
For more information, please visit the OAS Website at www.oas.org.
© Copyright 2013 by thebahamasweekly.com
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