This week, King Felipe carried out a series of engagements related to the 27th Annual Iberoamerican Heads of State and Government Conference, which took place on 21 April in Andorra.
For 2021-22, the Dominican Republic has assumed the Presidency of the Iberoamerican Conference. The King received President Abinader of the Dominican Republic at the official guest house of the Spanish government, the Royal Palace of Pardo, located in Madrid. At the audience with the King, President Abinader vowed to strengthen bilateral relations between the Dominican Republic and Spain.
That evening, King Felipe held an official banquet for President Abinader and President Alejandro Giammattei Falla of Guatemala, who was also attending the conference. President Abinader was accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Dominican Republic, Roberto Álvarez. King Felipe invited both presidents to travel with him on the royal plane to Andorra for the start of the conference.
The two presidents attended the conference in person with the leaders of Spain, Portugal, and Andorra. The rest of the heads of state attended virtually because of the coronavirus pandemic.
This year’s theme was “Innovation and Sustainable Development: 2030 Goals.” The main topic of the conference was the impact of coronavirus on tourism and foreign direct investment. Access to vaccines and the strain coronavirus has put on public health systems was also discussed. Twenty-two countries, including Spain and Portugal, attended the conference; King Felipe and the President of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, represented Spain at the conference.
