Argentina’s Javier Milei will miss the Ibero-American summit’s opening ceremony and the king’s gala dinner. He is due to meet Vox leader Santiago Abascal before taking part in Thursday’s plenary session.
The announcement came Wednesday, as Felipe VI and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez closed the XVI Ibero-American Business Meeting at Madrid’s Las Ventas bullring. The meeting was part of the XXX Ibero-American Summit, taking place in the capital on Wednesday and Thursday. Sánchez was scheduled to take part in the business meeting’s closing at 15:00 on 4 November. The summit’s official opening was scheduled for 19:30 at the Teatro Real, followed by a royal welcome dinner at the Royal Palace at 20:30, presided over by King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia.
The summit’s preparations included a technical meeting of national coordinators and heads of cooperation from the 22 Ibero-American countries on 2 to 3 November. Chaired by Susana Sumelzo, Spain’s Secretary of State for Ibero-America, the Caribbean and Spanish in the World, the meeting reviewed the draft Madrid Declaration and a new Ibero-American Cooperation Strategy after more than two years of negotiations under Spain’s pro tempore secretariat. Spain’s Foreign Ministry described the Madrid gathering as the 30th Ibero-American Summit; the process has met continuously since the first summit in Guadalajara, Mexico, in 1991. On 4 November, Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares received his counterparts from the 22 countries to give political momentum to the work and consider the summit’s main documents and initiatives.
Both called for stronger economic links between Europe and Latin America. Felipe VI said Spain would work to bring the relationship between the EU, Latin America and the Caribbean closer to businesses and citizens. He cited recently renewed EU agreements with Chile and Mexico, as well as the EU-Mercosur agreement. The EU-Mercosur Partnership Agreement was signed in 2026 and expressly includes Mercosur as a contracting party. The European Parliament Research Service distinguished it from an association agreement, noting that the Council decision authorising its signature did not invoke Article 217 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.
The king also pointed to geopolitical fragmentation and trade tensions. He argued that an open economy offered a better response than protectionism. He recalled the victims of the railway accident in Urda and Fátima Báñez, the former minister who served in government and later held a position at the CEOE Foundation. EU-Mercosur trade arrangements also include safeguard mechanisms: EU rules provide for measures if preferential imports from the bloc, or one or more signatory countries, cause or threaten serious injury. The European Commission adopted Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/1741 on 15 July 2026 to amend the relevant safeguards framework.
Sánchez said the summit should respond to powers that disregard international law. He hopes it will produce an Ibero-American alliance to address challenges including artificial intelligence. The proposal is due for discussion at Thursday’s plenary in the Gallery of the Royal Collections. CEOE president Antonio Garamendi also called on businesses to take an active role in the Ibero-American project.
Ukraine’s Volodímir Zelenski arrived in Spain to attend events on the margins of the summit. Sánchez is due to receive him, and Zelenski is also scheduled to meet several leaders to discuss Ukraine’s situation, its global repercussions and challenges to international peace and security.
