From February 12 th to 16 th , 2011, Peru will host the III Summit of Heads of State and Government of South American and Arab Countries -ASPA- , as well as the meeting of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs and the meeting of High Level Officials of those countries. These encounters will be accompanied by an Arab-South American Business Forum and other important cultural events..

The South American countries share, from the roots of their colonial history, many cultural features with the millennial Arab civilization, brought to them by Spanish Conquistadors. The geographic distance and historical ups and downs separated the two areas during the formative period of their respective Nation States. But nowadays these paths converge, as both regions share the same interest for economic development, for the preservation of the environment, and for an intercultural dialogue, as ways and means to consolidate world peace, to which both regions aspire.

Also, our regions register economic and important technical progress that can be enriched through reciprocal flows of trade, technical cooperation and investment in key sectors, such as water resources, agriculture and food, energy, transportation, telecommunications and tourism infrastructure.

For these reasons, Peru warmly welcomes the Heads of State and Government that honor the country with their visit, as well as all the representatives of South America and the Arab Countries that will attend the III Summit and its associated activities. The Summit will be a huge celebration, with the attendance of many among the most influential personalities and institutions in the political, economic, business, and cultural spheres of both regions.

We wish success, prosperity and peace to the actors of this Summit and to their peoples, as a new decade begins under the auspices of this brotherly and enriching dialogue of civilizations.