The Ibero-American system and its influence in the Ibero-American regional summit diplomacy

Abstract

The Ibero-American System has a short but challenging existence. Since 1991. the Iberian Peninsula and Latin American countries have been working on the construction or a community of nations with new opportunities of development and cooperation, based on a common history and cultural values. Never before in the modern history of these countries have their common interests been so important and strong in their national and regional agenda. After the Ibero-American Summits' foundation, bilateral and regional political profiles have evolved, increasing political and diplomatic contacts as well as their economical, cultural, scientific and technological, educational, cultural and social relations. This concertation is evident in the cooperation on a wider number of topics and agreements and has helped to support and encourage further negotiations between the European Union (EU) and Latin America. Summitry has been, since the second half of the last century, an important component of regional integration. Ever since the beginning, the vaguely stated purposes have been enriched with innovative proposals, suffering the consequences of summitry climb-down until the reformulation of pragmatic aims based on a modern institutionalized structure.