Taking part in this meeting which was held by conference call were President Wim Kok, Prime Minister of the Netherlands (1994-2002), Vice-Presidents Jenny Shipley, Prime Minister of New Zealand (1997-1999) and Jorge Quiroga, President of Bolivia (2001-2002), Members Chandrika Kumaratunga, President of Sri Lanka (1994-2005), Ricardo Lagos, President of Chile (2000-2006), Vaira Vike-Freiberga, President of Latvia (1999-2007), Cassam Uteem, President of Mauritius (1992-2002) and as the Constituent foundations’ representatives Diego Hidalgo and Anthony Jones.
An Extraordinary General Assembly was also convened on this occasion in order to approve the 2011 Annual Accounts, the proposal of allocation of the year’s result and the Report of Activities for the National Registry of Associations as well as formally ratify the membership of Roza Otunbayeva, President of the Kyrgyz Republic (2010-2011), and José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, President of the Spanish Government (2004-2011).
The Club de Madrid welcomes its new Members. With these two new incorporations, the Club de Madrid strengthens its position as the world’s largest forum of democratic former Heads of State and Government and one of the greatest pools of leadership experience and knowledge.
“It is for me an honour forming part of such a prestigious organization like the Club de Madrid; an organization that, through the experience and knowledge of its Members, strives to consolidate democratic leadership and values around the world. I will contribute as much as I can to its work so that the mission and the objectives of the Club de Madrid are met, and we all together advance towards a ‘democracy that delivers” said Mr. Zapatero.