The Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly Bureau and the Working Group on Rules gathered in Antigua, Guatemala from  26 to 27 February 2009. ALDE MEP Josu Ortuondo Larrea took part in the meetings, which were opened by the Guatemalan President Álvaro Colom. Colom highlighted the important work of EuroLat as a crucial mechanism of parliamentary diplomacy between Europe and Latin America in advancing integration and the common search for solutions to the shared needs of the two regions, among them the protection of the environment and hydro resources and social cohesion.