CARACAS, April 24 (Xinhua) -- The 23rd summit of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America-People's Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP) opened here Wednesday with its agenda focusing on a roadmap for 2030.

"We have received an extraordinary proposal with seven lines of action, which we have called the ALBA 2030 Agenda," containing "great goals" for the immediate, short and medium terms till "2030 or beyond," said Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who presided over the event.

Founded in 2004, the ALBA-TCP bloc currently groups 10 countries with the aim of reducing Latin America's reliance on Western aid by promoting intra-regional alliances and cooperation in key sectors such as energy and trade.

Member countries have made progress in debating the goals, Maduro said, voicing confidence that a draft of the agenda will be approved as a roadmap.

According to Maduro, the top objective is the creation of an ALBA-TCP cooperation and development agency to attract the resources to promote development projects. And the second line of action aims to relaunch Petrocaribe, a regional oil procurement agreement between Venezuela and Caribbean member states.

"Petrocaribe is recovering, relaunching itself and will return," Maduro said.

Maduro, who welcomed the ALBA heads of state and government at the Miraflores Palace, described Wednesday's gathering as "one of the best meetings." Enditem

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