Minister Rodas stressed to Secretary General Insulza the enormous enthusiasm that Honduras is showing to prepare the annual meeting of the hemispheric institution. She also wished that all Member States will be represented in San Pedro Sula at the highest level.

Minister Rodas emphasized her wish that the OAS, and particularly the Secretary General, work actively as promoters towards the success of the General Assembly. “I am convinced that the Secretary General will exercise his well known leadership in the continent and he will guide us with ideas,” she said.

Minister Rodas also explained the latest developments on negotiations for a declaration to be ratified by all 34 Member States in the Assembly, where the main theme will be �Towards a culture of nonviolence.� The Honduran delegation said they would like the Declaration of San Pedro de Sula to be �short, precise and straightforward.�

Secretary General Insulza and Minister Rodas met first in private in Insulza’s office at the OAS Headquarters in Washington, DC. They were joined later by the Ambassador of Honduras to Washington, Roberto Flores Bermedez, the Permanent Representative of Honduras to the OAS, Carlos Sosa, and the National General Coordinator for the General Assembly, Ambassador Leslie C. Martinez, among others.

Minister Rodas will be until Wednesday in Washington on official visit to discuss “political, operative details, also related to infrastructure and logistics” of the General Assembly, an event she would like to reach “historic” proportions. The Honduran Minister of Foreign Relations said her country awaits with enormous expectation the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the 34 active OAS Member States.

‘This General Assembly could be key to the future of the Organization of American States, because a new type of political dialogue in the continent might be born then,” she said.

In her visit to the OAS, Minister Rodas also met with the OAS Assistant Secretary General, Ambassador Albert Ramdin, the President of the Permanent Council and Permanent Representative of Canada, Graeme Clark, and representatives from regional groups.