One day after closing the XXX Ibero-American Summit, Felipe VI has on Friday vindicated the future of the community of Ibero-American countries and has expressed his satisfaction with the agreements reached in Madrid. The King presided at the Palace of El Pardo over the awarding of the Fórum Europa 2026 Prize to the Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB), a ceremony that has served to take stock of the diplomatic event and defend the continuity of a summit system that has been in place for 35 years.
"We can reach even greater levels of cohesion and political agreement. We can have even more of a voice on major global issues, as befits our population, our resources, and our cultural wealth," the monarch said, convinced that cooperation between the countries on both sides of the Atlantic still has room to grow.
Felipe VI also recognized his personal connection to the Ibero-American community. In praising the work of the SEGIB, he has used an expression that he has defined as "the fervor of Ibero-America," an enthusiasm he said he shares.
"I recognize that enthusiasm because it is also mine and I am every day more proud of what it is and what it means", he said.
The event brought together institutional and diplomatic representatives to recognize the track record of the three general secretaries that the organization has had: Enrique V. Iglesias, Rebeca Grynspan and Andrés Allamand. The first was not able to attend in person and intervened through a video.
The King vindicates the Madrid agreements and calls for keeping cooperation alive
Felipe VI’s speech came after a summit that brought together delegations of the 22 Ibero-American countries, although with uneven participation from their top leaders. The meeting made it possible to approve a joint declaration and several cooperation agreements, after the previous edition, held in Cuenca (Ecuador) in 2024, ended without a communiqué agreed upon by all countries.
The monarch highlighted that the commitments reached in Madrid will have concrete consequences for citizens.
"We have reached consensus on issues that will have a direct impact on our citizens," he said, before citing the recognition of academic degrees, care, the joint response to natural catastrophes, and the new design of Ibero-American cooperation.
Among the main results of the summit are the Ibero-American Alliance for Artificial Intelligence, the Ibero-American Charter for Academic Mobility, the Ibero-American Charter for Care and Support, and the Ibero-American Network for Disaster Risk Reduction and Civil Protection. A new cooperation strategy for the coming years is added to these initiatives.
The alliance on artificial intelligence seeks to improve technological collaboration among countries, while the academic mobility charter aims to facilitate student exchanges and the recognition of university studies.
For its part, the care charter establishes a common framework for advancing care policies for dependent persons and for those who perform caregiving tasks. The civil protection network will make it possible to strengthen coordination in the face of emergencies and natural disasters.
The King has defended that these agreements show that the summit system can continue to offer results, although he has warned that maintaining cooperation requires a sustained effort.
"Sharing Ibero-America's fervor also leads us to be very aware of what it costs, in times like the current ones, to keep that flame alive", he said.
A common declaration despite differences between the countries
The Madrid summit concluded with the approval of the Madrid Declaration, a document that sets out the political commitments shared by the Ibero-American community.
The consensus has not eliminated differences among governments. Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica and Paraguay have dissociated themselves from certain sections of the text, without preventing its approval.
Argentina has also expressed reservations about some of the cooperation initiatives, including those related to artificial intelligence, academic mobility, and care.
This mechanism has made it possible to maintain a joint declaration despite the political disagreements among the participating countries, which include governments with different ideological orientations.
The meeting had the presence of about a dozen heads of State and Government, as well as ministerial delegations from the 22 countries. The participation of top leaders exceeded that of Cuenca in 2024, although it fell far short of that reached in other editions.
During Thursday’s closing ceremony, the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, defended that ideological differences do not prevent reaching agreements in defense of peace and international law.
Felipe VI has resumed this Friday that defense of cooperation and has insisted that Ibero-American countries can acquire greater influence in international debates if they work in a coordinated manner.
"We must learn to be Ibero-Americans"
The King has devoted part of his address to the shared identity of Ibero-American countries, which he has described as a reality in permanent construction.
"Ibero-America is not a static or acquired identity; we must learn to be Ibero-Americans", he stated.
Felipe VI added that mutual knowledge requires a continuous effort and that advancing in that learning makes it possible to understand more clearly both the common bonds and the differences among Ibero-American societies.
"Many of those present, like the three Secretary Generals, have devoted, a lifetime to this learning. I trust that, like them, we are on the right path", he said.
The monarch also highlighted the work of the Ibero-American General Secretariat, which he had already defined during the summit’s opening as "the backbone of the summit system".
This Friday he has recovered that expression to stress that the institution should not be limited to preserving existing ties, but should help to expand the possibilities for cooperation.
The SEGIB, he has defended, is "a constant and determined commitment to our future: not to what Ibero-America is, but to what it can come to be".
An award for the three Secretary Generals of the SEGIB
The El Pardo ceremony has served to recognize the work of those who have directed the Ibero-American General Secretariat since its creation.
The Premio Fórum Europa 2026, awarded by Nueva Economía Fórum, honors Enrique V. Iglesias, Secretary General from 2005 to 2014; Rebeca Grynspan, who held the post between 2014 and 2021; and Andrés Allamand, currently responsible for the institution.
Felipe VI has praised their career and highlighted three common characteristics: the vocation to serve, political experience, and the defense of multilateralism.
The King has opened his address with a quote by Baltasar Gracián: "No matter how great the position, it must show that the person is greater".
With her, it has sought to recognize the work of the three leaders and their contribution to the continuity of the Ibero-American community over the past two decades.
During the ceremony, Rebeca Grynspan, current Secretary-General of UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), has warned of the difficulties that multilateralism is going through and has argued that a world with several centers of power needs effective cooperation mechanisms.
Grynspan also called for the United Nations to incorporate organized crime into international debates on peace and security.
For his part, Andrés Allamand has defended the role of Ibero-America as a space for dialogue in the face of tensions between the major powers.
The interventions have extended the debate opened during the summit on the ability of international organizations to reach agreements in a context of growing geopolitical rivalry.
Honduras takes up the baton for the 2028 Summit
The XXX Ibero-American Summit has concluded with the handover of the Pro Tempore Secretariat to Honduras, which will organize the next meeting of heads of State and Government in 2028.
The Honduran president, Nasry Asfura, has invited the leaders to take part in the next edition, which will provide continuity to the agreements reached in Madrid.
Felipe VI has recalled that the approval of declarations and commitments does not exhaust the work of the community. Its progress will depend on the SEGIB and on collaboration between governments over the next two years.
"The credit for the fact that, with the spotlight of the summit turned off, the agreements and instruments continue to be developed corresponds, to a large extent, to the commitment of those who make up the SEGIB," he has explained.
The monarch closed his address with a call to prepare from now for the next meeting in Honduras and to take advantage of the experience accumulated during the 35 years since the first summit, held in Guadalajara (Mexico) in 1991.
"Let’s all work, starting today, so that it is a new step forward, a new success of consensus", he concluded.
Thus, the awarding of the Fórum Europa Prize has provided the institutional closing of three days of diplomatic activity in Madrid. After the joint declaration and the cooperation agreements, the main challenge will be to translate commitments into concrete measures before the Ibero-American countries meet again in Honduras.