My first words are for greeting President Lugo and to congratulate Paraguay for the excellent organization of this XXI Iberian American Summit. I also want to thank you, President Lugo, for the warmth and friendship with which we were welcomed by your authorities and by the people of Paraguay.

It is always with great pleasure that I take part in the Iberian American Summit. It is impossible, for me, to attend these Summits without recalling Guadalajara, in 1991, when I was Prime Minister of Portugal, and the spirit that was born in what was the founding movement of the Iberian American project. To call upon that spirit makes yet further sense this year, when we celebrate twenty years of the constitution of the Iberian American Summit.

To call upon the spirit of Guadalajara implies recalling some of the commitments we assumed at that time: the defence of the democratic values and the rights of our peoples, the promotion of their welfare and of their economic and social development.

These are principles that are fully up to date and which are the guarantee of the credibility of our joint action.

Since Guadalajara, the contacts and meetings between our Countries have become multiplied, at the most diversified levels, and cooperation was intensified in what nowadays covers such differing areas as education, health, science and technology, agriculture, public administration, communications, justice, youth, culture, sports and the media.

To this multifaceted cooperation is equally added an important effort in the coordination and political cum diplomatic concert in issues of common interest in the multilateral forums. This Iberian American diplomacy that we have been developing is nowadays a reference of international existence and is an asset with great strategic value, which must be taken advantage of and developed, particularly at a time of deep uncertainties.

In effect, it is undeniable that the Iberian American relationship provides value to the position of each of our countries in the international stage as well as in the midst of the regional blocks in which we belong, and just the knowledge of these facts would justify all the effort placed on the consolidation and strengthening of this process.

I want to warmly congratulate Paraguay for the choice of the Topic for this XXI Iberian American Summit: Transformation of State and Development.

This is an extremely relevant issue in these days, which places enormous challenges to the States and their political leaders. I believe that the Iberian American Summit is a privileged forum for a particularly interesting and enriching discussion and exchange of experiences, taking into consideration the specificity of each of our Countries, their History, their culture and their model of development.

The world currently lives uncertain times, which are testing the way in which States organize themselves and how they conduct their development policies. Even the more developed economies are at the mercy of market volatility and of interests that take advantage of insufficient regulation and lack of accountability.

This reality has very serious implications for our development policies, insofar as combating its effects leads towards the waste of important resources that should be channelled towards the promotion of economic growth and for the creation of employment. An adequate response is thus urgent, which implies that States should organize themselves in order to favour the international concert that is obligatorily required and without which any measures taken will never be effective.

It is essential that world leaders are well aware of their historic responsibility, a responsibility towards the existing citizens, but also towards the coming generations.

Mister President Lugo,

I renew my grateful thanks for the admirable way in which you have conducted the Pro Tempore Presidency of the Iberian American Summit throughout this year.

Majesty,

A special word for Spain which in a few hours will assume the responsibility for the Pro Tempore Presidency of the Iberian American Summit, to wish you the greatest of good fortunes in the exercise of your mandate, certain that this will be a marker in the consolidation of our Community.

Many thanks to you all, and please allow me now to hand over the allocation to the Prime Minister, who will develop with greater detail, the Portuguese position on the topic of this Summit.