Santo Domingo -The 48th Senior Officials'' Meeting of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and the European Union (EU) began today at the conference hall of the Dominican Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

This event precedes the meeting of Foreign Ministers of CELAC and the European Union, to be opened on Tuesday, October 25, at 3:00 pm with a solemn activity and participation of 59 countries from both blocs.

The Dominican Ministry of Foreign Affairs have confirmed that more than 200 national and international journalists will cover the impact of the meeting.

Simultaneously with the plenary discussion, the program includes an agenda of special high-interest events, among them, the meeting 'Women, peace and security'. This is a day of lectures on gender issues in the framework of the armed conflicts.

The talk 'Art and transatlantic connectivity', a technology-cultural event; the meeting of Foreign Ministers of the Caribbean Forum (CARIFORUM) and the signing ceremony of the constituent agreement of the EU-LAC Foundation, among others, are also planned.

This meeting takes place within the framework of the Presidency Pro Tempore of CELAC the Dominican Republic exerts. It seeks to strengthen dialogue and progresses the issues of the bi-regional relationship.

It also monitors the decisions adopted during the second Summit of Heads of State and Government held in Brussels in June 2015. It represents the preparatory stage for the next Summit of Heads of State and Government of CELAC-EU, to be run in Punta Cana in January 2017.