Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves (L) and Argentine President Alberto Fernández (R) | Photo: @CasaRosada

Buenos Aires, January 25 (RHC)-- Argentinean President Alberto Fernández handed over the pro-tempore presidency of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) on Tuesday to the Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves, who took office for the period 2023-2024.

"First, I would like to thank you for electing me as President pro-tempore of CELAC for 2023.  St. Vincent and the Grenadines is one of the smallest countries in this organization and we have been working over the years with CELAC," Gonsalves said at the end of the plenary of the VII Summit of Heads of State and Government of the organization held in Buenos Aires on Tuesday.

"We are going to work very closely with all the states," he said, noting that he would seek to "capitalize on the great work done by Mexico and Argentina," the last two countries to preside over CELAC.

Before his speech, Gonsalves greeted Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula de Silva, whom he described as "the great warrior," and thanked him for the CELAC initiative.

Alberto Fernández, for his part, thanked Lula "for having brought Brazil back to CELAC, where it should always have been."