QCOSTARICA – In his opening remarks, President Luis Guillermo Solís welcomed his regional counterparts and delegations in Spanish, Portuguese, English and French.
The President also gave a welcome in the indigenous languages of Maleku and Bribri. “Capi capi mi tonh marame unhuti toy na puc”, he said in Maleku.
Solís, in his opening speech to the Third Summit of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), insisted unity in the region to meet the challenges of eradicating poverty and development.
The President argued that domestic efforts of each country to achieve development will not be enough if the region does not work on its own agenda and the international community is not in solidarity with developing nations.
“We recognize the importance of the fight against hunger and poverty in our region. Few violations of human dignity are as large as that expressed in the inability to feed a person enough to survive,” he said in French.
Solis also insisted that the CELAC should continue working and strengthening its relationship with other blocs and strategic countries.
“The doors have opened; now we must cross the threshold … to develop coordination mechanisms with other countries and regions, such as the European Union, ASEAN, China, Russia, India and South Africa to name just a few,” he said.
