COMMUNICATION

Europe and Latin America committed to multilateralism in Yuste

The Royal Monastery of Yuste hosts the international seminar “Latin American and the European Union Relations: a Renewed Political Alliance?”, where the economic growth that different regions are experiencing  and how this fact presents challenges from the economic and geopolitical point of view will be analysed from transdisciplinary approaches. It is in this framework that they are analysing how the relations between the European Union and Latin America are and how they may evolve.

The Director General of External Action of the Regional Government of Extremadura and President of the European and Ibero-American Academy of Yuste Foundation’s Executive Committee, Rosa Balas; the Ibero-American Secretary General, Rebeca Grynspan; the Executive Director of EU-LAC, Paola Amadei; the Ambassador of El Salvador, Jorge Alberto Palencia and the Mayor of Cuacos de Yuste, José María Hernández, participated in the opening session.

During her speech, Rosa Balas spoke about the relevance of organising this seminar at a moment when “the international context is so uncertain, where some accessions are cancelled and some agreements are rewritten; when realities we thought were solid are no longer so true”. Europe and Latin America are a priority in their respective agendas and must “give an example of multilateralism and economic integration as opposed to protectionism and economic nationalism”.

The Ibero-American Secretary General, Rebeca Grynspan, defended that several important messages be sent from the seminar. Firstly, that a call for “the revaluation of Latin America, not forgetting the challenges nor the strengths that we have developed throughout these years” should be made from Yuste. On the other hand, Grynspan stressed the importance of defending and strengthening personal exchanges, highlighting academic mobility among students, teachers and researchers.

Grynspan pointed out that the “reinforcement of the Atlantic Triangle” is necessary as well, as is stressing and putting emphasis on the fact that both region should “commit to culture, diversity and multilateralism as fundamental elements to build a much more efficient multilateralism, so that our regions may have a say in such an uncertain global world” because in order to “combat regressive utopias we need a different narrative”.

Jorge Alberto Palencia, Ambassador of El Salvador –the country that holds the pro tempore presidency- invited the attendees of the seminar celebrated in Yuste to explore the common points that unite Europe with Ibero-America and not their differences, “because what joins us is our main strength when reacting in the international scene”.

The Executive Director of EU-LAC, Paola Amadei, pointed out that the foundation she manages sponsors this seminar in Yuste because it is important to “take discussion, knowledge and training on Europe and Latin America to other places, far from the centre of power”. The EU-LAC Foundation chose this seminar among more than a hundred proposals coming from Europe and Latin America.

Among other experts and academicians, the former Finance Minister of Colombia and economist, Guillermo Perry; Argentina’s former Economy Minister, José Luis Machinea; the President of the Institute for the Promotion of Latin America and the Caribbean (IPDAL), Paolo Neves; PhD in Political Science by the University Complutense of Madrid and holds a Master’s degree in International Relations by the United Nations’ University for Peace, José Antonio Sanahuja Perales and the person responsible for the Oxfam Intermon Policy for Latin America and the Caribbean, Andrea Costafreda, are present.

The international seminar “Latin American and the European Union Relations: a Renewed Political Alliance?” is organised by the European and Ibero-American Academy of Yuste Foundation with the Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB) and is sponsored by the European Union – Latin America and Caribbean Foundation (EU-LAC Foundation).