The King of Spain, Felipe VI, opened the thirtieth Ibero-American Summit by using a quote from Camões to call on the community to move along 'seas that have never been traversed before' towards creating a more just society.
Felipe VI stated that they should continue the path that brought them from Guadalajara to Madrid, and which in two years will lead them, 'along seas that have never been traversed before,' to Honduras, which enthusiastically accepts its first temporary secretariat. He emphasized that this path requires working towards building a more just, prosperous, and inclusive society.
The Spanish monarch noted that the summit, taking place in Madrid this day and Thursday, is an opportunity for the 22 member countries to demand 'facts and tangible achievements' from the world.
He also stated that to continue declaring a clear and sustainable commitment to Ibero-Americans before the world—through dialogue, equality, respect for norms, consideration of minority opinions, science, and entrepreneurship—it is necessary that social progress is achieved by all and is accessible to all.
Felipe VI addressed the opening ceremony of the Ibero-American Summit at the Teatro Real in Madrid. Representatives from the 22 member countries were present at the event, as well as invited guests: United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and President of the Council of Europe António Costa.
Portugal was represented by the President of the Republic, António José Seguro, and Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, who entered the Teatro Real together and were photographed.
In his speech, the King of Spain defended the Ibero-American community and the system of its summits, initiated in Guadalajara, Mexico, in 1991, asserting that it serves as an example of mutual understanding and cooperation that counters tension and rivalry, not only due to its positive impact in various fields.
He stressed that processes of political consensus are not empty rhetoric but lead to real benefits in the daily lives of citizens.
At this Ibero-American Summit, heads of state and government, besides Portugal and Spain, are represented by Andorra, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic. However, the presidents of Brazil (Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva) and Mexico (Claudia Sheinbaum), the two largest member states by population, are absent.
The Spanish government expects 'five major results' from the meeting, which will be embodied in various agreements. Among these is the creation of an Ibero-American network for disaster risk reduction and civil protection, originally proposed by Portugal in 2024.
The summit also anticipates the adoption of an 'Ibero-American Artificial Intelligence Alliance,' an agreement on 'educational mobility,' another on social assistance and care for the elderly and people with special needs, as well as a new strategy for cooperation between Ibero-American countries aimed at updating the previous one and focusing on 'triangular and south-south cooperation.'
The Ibero-American Summits are held every two years, and Portugal has proposed participating in the 2030 Summit, which will follow the 2028 Summit in Honduras.
The community includes three European countries (Portugal, Spain, and Andorra) and 19 Latin American countries (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela, Mexico, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic).
Fifteen permanent observers will work in Madrid, including the inclusion of Angola, India, and Turkey in the group, which also includes Germany, Belgium, South Korea, the Philippines, France, Haiti, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Morocco, and the Netherlands.
