The Ministry of Culture participated in the XII Ibero-American Conference on Culture held in Lisbon under the theme "Portuguese and Spanish, Languages as Shared Instruments of Identity, Creativity and Multiculturalism", within the framework of the XIX Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government.

The Dominican Republic was represented by Assistant Secretary of Culture in the area of Cultural Heritage, Lourdes Cuello Camilo and the Director of Tourism and Culture, Japan Chaplain.

A total of 20 countries were represented at the convention, whose final statement prompted the Organization of Iberoamerican States for Education, Science and Culture (OEI) to create a program that promotes the intentsive translation of literary works from Portuguese to Spanish and Spanish to Portuguese, in order to accelerate an understanding of all cultures common to the OEI.

Ibero-American Ministers of Culture agreed to promote and institutionalize the use of Portuguese and Spanish in cyberspace, contributing to an increased occurrence of scientific papers and general dissemination in these languages, and to also work to ensure the digital presence of other languages in the region.

Similarly, the creation of the Iberoamerican Program for Cultural Cooperation, the Ibermuseos and Iberorquestas and formation of an Ibero-American Youth Orchestra was discussed. 

A renewed commitment to "The Ibero-American Cultural Charter," to support the action plan implemented in a coordinated Iberoamericanos Agency for Cultural Cooperation was also discussed.

The findings of the XII Ibero-American Conference on Culture will be submitted to the XIX Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government to be held in Estoril (Portugal) from November 30 to December 1, 2009.

The ministers also reviewed the progress of projects such as Roads to Freedom promoting mutual understanding among peoples and the Ibero-American Cultural Charter, aimed at developing a common cultural space, stimulating creativity and cultural industries.

Original article in Spamish only.