Portugal works as mediator on Honduras' situation in Ibero-American Summit (Xinhua)

LISBON, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Portugal's Exterior Minister Luis Amado said on Monday that Portugal is working as a mediator among the Ibero-American countries to achieve a consensus that allows the approval of a joint declaration of the 19th Ibero-American Summit countries on the political situation in Honduras.

"The goal of the Portuguese presidency is to find a common ground about the political situation of Honduras, not only in relation to the recent elections occurred in the country," Minister Amado told the press.

The minister added that "at the moment the members have very different positions," which may pose some difficulties to achieve the joint declaration.

Minutes before, the Spanish Minister of Foreign Relations Miguel Angel Moratinos had declared that "Spain neither recognizes nor ignores the elections occurred in Honduras" ... http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-12/01/content_12567255.htm



Differences on Honduras election divide Ibero-American Summit

ESTORIL, Portugal, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Ibero-American Secretary-General Enrique Iglesias said on Monday afternoon that there are divergences about the political crisis in Honduras among the representatives who participate in the 19th Ibero-American Summit, which takes place in Estoril, Portugal, but that a solution is expected for Tuesday ...

All the Ibero-American countries (Latin America, Portugal, Spain and Andorra) condemned the coup which took Manuel Zelaya from the Honduran presidency, and demanded his return to his position. However, in the past week, Peru, Costa Rica and Panama, following the United States, announced that they would recognize the results of Sunday's elections, creating a rift in the region.

Iglesias expressed his confidence that a commission presided over by Portugal will be able to reach a resolution on the Honduran political crisis by Tuesday. According to him, there were natural divergences at the summit, but the general atmosphere of the event was very cordial.

He added that, besides the Honduran matter, the representatives gathered in the summit also discussed themes such as the international financial crisis and the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference. Iglesias also praised the initiative of the Amazon Summit, which took place last week in Brazil.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-12/01/content_12567716.htm