Statement - meeting between President Michael D. Higgins and Mr Evo Morales, President of the Plurinational State of Bolivia
Date: Sat 7th Nov, 2015 | 12:44
Uachtaráin na hÉireann (President of Ireland) Michael D. Higgins had a warm one hour meeting with President Evo Morales, President of the Plurinational State of Bolivia this evening. (Saturday 7th November)
The Presidents discussed a number of current issues, including Climate Change, and the importance of an adequate international response at the forthcoming Paris COP21 Conference. They also discussed a range of bilateral and multilateral issues, including Sustainable Development, Agricultural Production, Elimination of Global Poverty, Regional Development in South America, Cultural Diversity and the role of indigenous people and their languages.
President Higgins discussed with the Bolivian President the role of Human Rights in contemporary discourse. President Higgins thanked the President for the talks arranged with the Dwyer family during his visit. He also urged progress in addressing the understandable loss and grief of the Dwyer family.
President Morales is the first South American President in Office to visit President Higgins at Áras an Uachtaráin. President Higgins felt it was of particular significance for the rights of the indigenous peoples of South America that the visit was in the person of this iconic representative of his Aymara people.
Both Presidents agreed that new models of development that respected ecology and diversity were necessary.
President Higgins said that the recognition of 36 native languages as well as Spanish, in the new Bolivian Constitution of 2008 was a great gesture in cultural diversity, and an example to other countries.
Both Presidents shared a desire for deeper and wider relations between their peoples and governments at all levels.
President Morales presented President Higgins with the ‘Declaration of the World Peoples’ Conference on Climate Change and the Defense of Life’, held at Tiquipaya, Bolivia in October.