(5 September 2011) Today, the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Alicia Bárcena, and the Foreign Affairs Minister of El Salvador, Hugo Roger Martínez, opened an exhibition of paintings by the Salvadoran artist Nicolás Shi, at the United Nations headquarters in Santiago, Chile.
Aida Minero Reyes, the Ambassador for El Salvador in Chile, also took part in the opening of the exhibition.
At the exhibition entitled "Woven identities", the artist shows traditional works of a town, region, clan and ethnic group by using a vivid mix of colours and a touch typical of contemporary American art.
On opening the exhibition, the Executive Secretary of ECLAC stated that it is a sign, a symbol, "like the first step in the cooperation process with El Salvador to carry out our Thirty-fourth Session, which will take place in San Salvador during the last week in August 2012."
The ECLAC Session is the most important biennial meeting of this regional commission of the United Nations, during which the priorities of its work program are set for the following two years.
Minister Martínez thanked ECLAC for the opportunity to show the world a sample of Salvadoran art. "One of our objectives is to unite the nations through art. We want to spread the culture because it is the basis of society and our aim is that new generations are proud of their cultural roots," he declared.
Alicia Bárcena concluded by stating that, "Over the last two years the partnership between ECLAC and El Salvador has grown and deepened greatly, and we hope to crown this joint effort with success next year. This is an opportunity in which we will call all member countries of ECLAC to discuss one of the region's greatest challenges which is answering this question: What macroeconomy do we need to achieve development with equality?"
Any queries should be addressed to the ECLAC Public Information and Web Services Section. E-mail: dpisantiago@cepal.org; Telephone: (56 2) 210 2040.
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