Ibero-American summit opens in Peru

Leaders from Latin America, Spain and Portugal have opened their annual Ibero-American summit in Peru.

They are expected to agree on an unprecedented joint effort against international terrorism.

Drug trafficking and Argentina's economic crisis are also high in the agenda of the 21 leaders.

In the opening session marked by the condemnation of the September 11 attacks, the presidents also expressed their growing concern over the effects of the attacks on their struggling economies.

President Mireya Moscoso of Panama, commented: "Attacks like those, which in a recent past could only exist in somebody's imagination, are now a terrifying reality which, in addition, fuels economic destabilisation and growing recession."

Peru's President Alejandro Toledo also condemned terrorism, and urged his peers "to work without pause to make the first decade of this century the decade of economic growth, the decade of creation of productive jobs for our people".

He said that bettering living conditions for the poor would contribute to fight terrorism, adding: "There is no peace where poverty prevails."

For the first time in 11 years, the two-day summit is taking place without Fidel Castro, who stayed home to help with reconstruction efforts following the devastation inflicted by Hurricane Michelle earlier this month.

Cuba is, instead, being represented by Vice President Carlos Lage.

Draft text for the summit's final statement calls the September 11 attacks "barbarian acts, because they are tantamount to an insult to human dignity and a threat to democracy".