Former Uruguayan Foreign Minister Luis Almagro, newly elected secretary general of the Organization of American States (OAS), has pledged to lead the Cold War-era group into the 21st century.

The seventh Summit of the Americas, organized by the Washington, D.C.-based OAS, will be held here Friday and Saturday, with the participation of more than 30 heads of state and government of the Western Hemisphere.

Prior to his nearly-unanimous election on March 18, Almagro, 52, provided the 35 member states of the OAS with an idea of what his five-year term at the group's helm would strive to achieve.

"In 2015, we should definitively leave behind the OAS of the Cold War," he said, acknowledging that the outdated policies of the organization, created in 1948, have failed to keep pace with the region's changing social and political dynamics.

"The OAS of the 21st century should be global, go out into the world, establish ties with strategic countries ..., with global and regional multilateral organizations," said Almagro.

The Center for Economic and Policy Research, also based in Washington, D.C., described Almagro's election as "another indication of declining U.S. influence in Latin America."

The center noted that "as foreign minister of Uruguay from 2010 to 2015, Almagro was involved in strengthening regional integration through organizations such as the Union of South American Nations and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States."

As a member of Uruguay's left-leaning Broad Front coalition and the top diplomat during the administration of ex-president Jose Mujica, a former leftist guerrilla, "Almagro's election represents ... a triumph for regional integration and solidarity that opposes U.S. efforts to isolate particular countries," the center said.

In Latin America, the Caracas-based Telesur news network agreed, saying the new OAS chief "has pledged to make the necessary changes to place the organization, which has long been dominated by Washington, 'at the service of all Americans'" throughout the Western Hemisphere.

According to Telesur, Almagro, a "pragmatic and eloquent negotiator," had been trained as a lawyer at the National University of Uruguay.

His career in diplomacy began in 1988, when he was named his country's representative to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Almagro went on to hold various diplomatic posts at Uruguay's embassies in Iran and Germany. After serving as the ambassador to China from 2007 to 2010, he was appointed foreign minister.

As his country's top diplomat, Almagro negotiated the release of six Guantanamo detainees who were able to leave the notorious prison thanks to Uruguay's willingness to take them in, and took part in negotiations to restore U.S.-Cuba ties.

Almagro, who won a senate seat in 2014 for the 2015-2020 period, will take over the helm of the OAS from current OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza on May 25. Endi

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