(Washington) US President Joe Biden announced in a statement on Tuesday the holding on March 29 and 30, 2023 of the second edition of the “Democracy Summit”, an international meeting initiated by his administration.
He will chair the debates with the leaders of Costa Rica, the Netherlands, South Korea and Zambia, which according to the White House “exemplifies the universal aspiration for an accountable, transparent and rights-respecting mode of government”. .
“This meeting will show how democracies benefit their citizens, and are best equipped to respond to the most pressing global challenges,” said the five co-organizing countries in a joint statement, which includes a speech dear to the American president.
The first edition of the “democracy summit” was held in December 2021 virtually, and drew harsh criticism from China and Russia, which were not among the hundred or so countries invited.
Beijing was particularly indignant at Taiwan’s invitation to this diplomatic meeting.
The White House assures that since the first edition, the governments concerned have taken “important decisions to build more resilient democracies, fight corruption and defend human rights. »
The participants in this first summit also “worked together to resist acts of authoritarian aggression, including Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified war against Ukraine,” said the US executive.
Joe Biden repeats over and over that the world is, according to him, at a “turning point”, wrought by a temptation to authoritarianism which threatens democracies for some in bad shape.