COMUNICACIÓN

Over 150 participants from 26 countries registered for the follow-up meeting and conclusion of the sessions entitled, “EU-CELAC Relations: Creating Certainty in the Face of Common Global Challenges”, held at the Permanent Representation of Spain to the European Union (REPER) in Brussels. The event was organised by the European and Ibero-American Academy of Yuste Foundation in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation. (04/12/2024)

The aim of this meeting, held as a continuation of the one organised in November in Guadalupe, was to present the conclusions of the sessions held in Cáceres. To achieve this, the event brought together experts in EU-Latin America and Caribbean relations, including senior officials from EU institutions, representatives of specialised organisations, as well as ambassadors from Latin American and Caribbean countries. Their task was to draft a document to serve as a proposal to help identify current challenges and opportunities in preparation for future high-level engagements.

The sessions held in Brussels provided a platform for debate, reflection, and the exchange of ideas, highlighting the importance of leveraging EU-Latin America and Caribbean relations to deliver a united response to the uncertainty threatening both regions. Additionally, the conclusions, proposals, and recommendations from Guadalupe were presented to identify and analyse the key current and future global issues and challenges ahead of the CELAC-EU Summit in Bogotá in 2025, as well as the forthcoming Ibero-American Summit to be held in Spain in 2026.

The meeting also addressed new priorities, such as combating the climate crisis; the energy, digital, and social transitions; conflicts threatening international stability, with a particular focus on the war in Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East; tackling organised crime; and managing migration. Discussions took into account recent developments to ensure the effective implementation of established guidelines and to identify areas for collaboration.

In his remarks, the director of Yuste Foundation, Juan Carlos Moreno, highlighted that the European Union, Latin America, and the Caribbean together represent a quarter of the global GDP, a third of UN member states, and nearly half of G-20 members. He emphasised that “when sixty countries act together, they contribute to achieving significant outcomes”, underscoring the need to “jointly seek solutions to shared challenges, despite the complexity of the task”.

Both regions must focus on what unites them and work to overcome their differences, “preserving the consensus built over three decades of summits”, Moreno stated. He cited the meetings held in November at the Royal Monastery of Guadalupe and at the Spanish Representation to the EU (REPER) as examples of such efforts.

To conclude, the director of Yuste Foundation referred to the critical role Spain will play over the next two years in fostering dialogue among all stakeholders involved in EU-Latin America and Caribbean relations.

The event’s opening session also featured Guillermo Santamaría, the regional minister for Economy, Employment and Digital Transformation of the Regional Government of Extremadura. Santamaría expressed gratitude for the creation of forums like this, spearheaded by Yuste Foundation and the Regional Government of Extremadura, as they provide an opportunity to reflect on relations between the two regions. He stressed the importance of jointly navigating the roadmap for collaboration, noting that many global challenges are best addressed through common solutions.

Following the welcome address by the ambassador permanent representative of Spain to the EU, Marcos Alonso, the event was formally inaugurated by the secretary of State for the European Union, Fernando Sampedro Marcos. The opening session also featured contributions from the first vice-president of EUROLAT, Leire Pajín, and the president of EUROLAT, Gabriel Mato.

During the closing session, the vice-president of the European Parliament, Javi López, delivered remarks, while Susana Sumelzo, secretary of State for Ibero-America, the Caribbean, and the Spanish Language Worldwide, delivered a video message on behalf of the minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of Spain, officially closing the event.

Throughout the day, several key figures participated, including Cristina Manzano, director of International Relations at the Ibero-American General Secretariat; Alberto Brunori, director of EU-LAC Foundation; Félix Fernández-Shaw, director for Latin America, the Caribbean, and Relations with Overseas Countries and Territories at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for International Partnerships; Pelayo Castro, deputy director for the Americas at the European External Action Service; Javier Samper Orgilés, director of EL PacCTO 2.0 at FIIAPP; and Erika Rodríguez Pinzón, director of the Carolina Foundation. Myriam Ferran, deputy director-general at the Directorate-General for International Partnerships, and Latin American and Caribbean ambassadors, including Gianni Avila, ambassador of Belize to Belgium and the EU, and Camila Polo Flórez, chargé d’Affaires at the Colombian Embassy to Belgium, Luxembourg, the EU, and NATO, also contributed to the discussions.

The event was attended by Elena Nevado, member of the European Parliament representing Extremadura; Pablo Hurtado, director-general for External Action of the Regional Government of Extremadura; and Irene Palomino, director of the Office of Extremadura in Brussels.