Guatemala City, by Jenny Herrera -AGN- President Bernardo Arévalo, participated in the inauguration of the 37th Meeting of Governors of the Inter-American Development Bank -IDB- of the Central American Isthmus and the Dominican Republic.
The event occurred at Casa Santo Domingo, Antigua Guatemala, and opened with a greeting between President Arévalo and IDB President Ilan Goldfajn.
In his address, President Bernardo Arérvalo stated, “This meeting is highly symbolic in terms of the challenges our government faces and the joint work we can accomplish with the IDB and regional partners to move forward for the well-being of Guatemalan society and the well-being of the entire region.”
Regional Challenges
The meeting is held annually between governors, finance ministers of the region, and the IDB to address the macroeconomic outlook of the region and the challenges to be handled together..
Goldfajn stressed that the Central American countries and the Dominican Republic grew by 4% economically in 2023, almost double the rest of Latin America. This will result in better economic performance.
However, poverty levels at the regional level remain significant. He said, “I would like to thank President Bernardo Arévalo for his presence. Thank you, governors, directors, and members of the delegations; we are here to talk about the challenges facing the people of Guatemala, Central America, and the Dominican Republic and how we at the IDB can help address them through new initiatives.”
Diplomatic meetings
On February 5 and 6, authorities and representatives of El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama, Dominican Republic, and Belize held bilateral meetings with the IDB delegation, where they studied the macroeconomic outlook and challenges of the region as well as discussed strategies, transformation messages, innovation, and stability.
Guatemala and the IDB have been cooperating for more than 60 years, which is why it has partnered in sectors such as education, climate change, and healthcare.
The Guatemalan president mentioned, “We are excited that this 37th Governor’s Meeting is being held here in Guatemala when, as a government, we are expressing our commitment to work for equitable and influential development to benefit the people of Guatemala.”
The arrival of the government of President Bernardo Arévalo represents an opportunity for Guatemala and the region.
