Transcript

MAURICIO CÁRDENAS: I think it’s about a new conversation. It’s about new topics. And, it’s about also showing commitment to the region with these two elements that are related to the IDB’s capital and the energy laboratory. There will be nothing like the 1994 Summit of the Americas, which is the summit that I think most of us remember. Some of us are too young. But it’s the summit where this great idea of the Free Trade Area of the Americas was launched, but that unfortunately didn’t go anywhere. It was, I guess, too big of an idea.

Now we have to have a more pragmatic and concrete approach on the issues that can be implementable. That’s what will make this Summit successful. The past summits have not been successful. Therefore, I think it’s for President Obama and a whole new generation of leaders that will meet for the first time in this Summit.It’s not just President Obama that is going to go there for the first time. We’ll also have President Garcia from Peru going for the first time, President Calderón going for the first time. It’s this new group of leaders that will take the Summit into a more productive and constructive arena.

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