Andorra’s Accession to the Ibero-American Summit System. Internal motivations, legal aspects and international projection

Abstract

Andorra was accepted into the system of Ibero-American Conferences of Heads of State and Government at the 14th Summit in San José, Costa Rica in 2004, and officially joined at the 15th Ibero-American Summit in Salamanca in 2005. In doing so, the Principality of Andorra fulfilled one of the key objectives of its foreign policy since the adoption of its 1993  Constitution: to be present in multilateral forums where it could amplify the effectiveness of its external action. At the same time, Andorra joined the International Organization of La Francophonie, applying one of the constants of its foreign policy—maintaining balance in its relationship with neighboring countries and their respective cultural and value-based communities.This research explores the motivations of Andorran institutions for seeking membership in the Ibero-American Summit system, the negotiation process surrounding its admission, as well as its active role within the system, which led to Andorra hosting the 28th Ibero-American Summit in 2021 and taking on an active role in the Ibero-American General Secretariat.