Spanish King & Queen Attend Ibero-American Summit
King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain were among of the leaders from the 19 Latin American and Iberian countries to attend the 19th annual Ibero-American Summit in Estoril, Portugal. They attended the summit’s inauguration last night, and it was the King who met with some of the leaders in attendance.
AP Photo/Armando Franca
Before the inauguration, Juan Carlos met with Colombian President Alvaro Uribe. The two men held a private discussion, and did not tell reporters about what they talked about.
The opening of the summit included a dinner at the Jeronimos Monastery. Portugal’s President and Prime Minister played host.
Monday morning, King Juan Carlos met with another South American leader, this time Brazilian President Lula da Silva. There was no private talks this time. The King also had breakfast with the presidents of several Central American countries.
After the breakfast, it was time for the summit’s first meeting. The topic for this year is “Innovation and Knowledge.”
There are usually 22 countries taking part in the Ibero-American Summit, but this year there are only 19. Absent is Venezuelan leader, Hugo Chavez. Two years ago, he was memorably told to “shut up” by King Juan Carlos for interrupting the Spanish Prime Minister. It is not known why Chavez is not in attendance this time.
While this was all going on, Queen Sofia and the other first ladies took part in the Accompanying Persons Program. That meant a tour of the region of Estoril, which is outside of Lisbon. The group saw Cabo da Roca and the National Palace at Sintra.
Tonight, there will be a dinner for the participants. Nothing fancy or gala-like. The summit will conclude tomorrow.
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Tags: King Juan Carlos, Queen Sofia, summits
