European Union | The European Union proposes raising the relationship with Latin America to a more political level

2023-06-07 17:46:43

For eight long years the Heads of State and Government of the European Union (EU) and the leading countries of Latin America and the Caribbean faces have not been seen in a bilateral summit. This situation will change with the European Union-CELAC summit that will take place in July in Brussels. The EU wants the appointment to become the “reunion” meeting, which marks a turning point and elevates relations to a higher level political through a new strategic agenda that aims to strengthen political commitment, trade and investment between the two blocks that together.

“It is true that Europa has been absorbed by more pressing problems such as the brexitmigration problems (…) We have gone through an enlargement process that has directed the center of gravity further to the east and time has passed and we have not raised our political relationship to the level it deserves”, the chief admitted on Wednesday of European diplomacy, Joseph Borrell, during the presentation of a new agenda. “The relationship has been taken for granted and even neglected after years without summits. In the geopolitical context, strengthen the relationship between the EU and Latin America it is a strategic imperative”, he explained about two blocs that together represent 14% of the world population and 21% of world GDP.

Proof of the importance that the European club gives to the region is the multiplication of initiatives and trips in recent months. Borrell has made five visits in the last year and the next one to travel to the area will be the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyenwho will visit Brazil, Argentina, Chile y Mexico promote the relationship with Latin America and promote the new agenda. “We are key allies in strengthening the rules-based international order and together defending the democracylos human rights and international peace and security. We are also interested in strengthening our political cooperation and dialogue, fighting against climate change and promote an inclusive and human-centered digital transformation”, he explained in a statement.

First of all, Brussels wants to renew the political association with the region at various levels: between the two regions, with each of the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, with the sub-regions and in multilateral forums. At the bi-regional level, the idea is to intensify dialogue through more regular summits and a permanent coordination mechanism that allows regular contacts to be established. They are especially “strategic” for the EU, Brazil and Mexico, and the creation of spaces for political dialogue with several countries that currently do not have them. “We want to improve collaboration and go from being natural partners to becoming partners of choice”, Borrell specified, who appeared together with the vice president and head of the trade portfolio, Valdis Domvrovskis.

More trade agreements

Promoting more trade agreements with the Latin American block is another of the great priorities of the new agenda. Thanks to these agreements, the bilateral trade of merchandise increased by 40% between 2018 and 2022, with a value of 369,000 million euros in 2022”, explained the Latvian. The trade relationship has positioned the EU as the leading investor in the region with 693,000 million euros in foreign direct investment that supports 2.7 million jobs in Latin American and Caribbean countries and one million in the Old Continent. “Our trade relations and investment they are driving opportunities for both parties. However, working together we can do even more”, she recalled.

The EU wants to continue stepping on the accelerator in this area to sign and ratify the trade agreement with Chilefinalize the one that negotiates with Mexico and converge the pact agreed with the countries of Mercosur. “The guerra in Ukraine It has also opened our eyes. We have seen that we have to work with reliable partners and the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean are crucial”, he pointed out, demanding the conclusion of the new pacts on which he gives some figures: just last year, EU trade with Mexico and Mercosur amounted to 240,000 million euros, which represents 65% of the total trade with the region.

In the case of the agreement with Mercosur, Brussels hopes that the pieces of the puzzle come together in the month of July and the pact can be definitively channeled. “We think that this summit could be a good moment to mobilize political support for the agreement. This summit should mark a path that leads to the completion of the agreement”, said Dombrovskis without going into the claims of the Brazilian president, Lula da Silvaon public contracts. “There have been quite a few comments about reopening some points of the agreement by both parties. We think that the agreement should not be reopened because it has been negotiated for a long time. A carefully constructed balance has been struck. We advise against reopening the agreement ”, he added.