MADRID, Spain – The President of the Government of Spain José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero met with IDB President Luis Alberto Moreno at the Moncloa palace today, to analyze joint initiatives to promote development in Latin America and the Caribbean, and the state of the region’s economies.
During the meeting, Zapatero reiterated Spain’s support for a capital increase for the IDB, which has increased its loan volume for Latin American and Caribbean countries in response to the global economic crisis.
The Second Vicepresident of the Government and Minister of Economy and Finance of Spain Elena Salgado Méndez also took part in the meeting. She later inaugurated the IDB Governors’ Meeting in Madrid.
Moreno noted the approval of 12 projects of the Spanish Fund for Cooperation on Water and Sanitation for Latin America and the Caribbean, which seeks to improve access to water and sanitation services in the region. The projects will benefit more than four million individuals. Spain is contributing more than $400 million to the fund. An additional $300 million will be provided by the IDB and by local country contributions.
Zapatero and Moreno also discussed the Mesoamerican Health Initiative. Working with other entities, the initiative seeks to close the gap in reproductive health, maternal and neonatal care, nutrition and vaccinations in Central America. In addition, the initiative will evaluate the viability of eliminating malaria and more effectively controlling dengue, with an eye to eliminating it completely.