The Executive Director of the EU-LAC Foundation, Dr Adrián Bonilla, took part on 22 February in the seminar "International Partnerships: Europe-Latin America", which was organised by the Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB) and which took place in a hybrid format at the SEGIB's premises in Madrid.
Dr Bonilla took on the role of moderator in the session, highlighting that the Heads of State and Government of Latin America and the Caribbean and the European Union are committed to the idea of producing common public policies for a sustainable recovery after the pandemic. Dr Bonilla also emphasised that both regions share the challenge of rebuilding their economies to achieve more innovative, inclusive and resilient societies, and to promote the participation of women in all areas of policy-making.
The new Secretary-General of SEGIB, Andrés Allamand, opened the event with a call for "relations between Latin America and Europe to be strengthened" and thus increase their gravitas on the international stage. In this sense, he insisted that the relationship between Europe and Latin America must be strategic, that is to say, long-term, mutually beneficial and capable of achieving objectives not only at the bilateral level but also at the global level.
The event was also attended by the Secretary of State for International Cooperation of the Spanish Government, Pilar Cancela, who highlighted the importance and uniqueness of Spanish Cooperation and advocated a joint effort for the empowerment of women, with public policies and an agenda that takes into account social cohesion, democratic values, justice and institutionality.
On the other hand, the Director for the Americas of the European External Action Service, Javier Niño, stressed that, for the challenges faced by both regions, building more democratic, just and sustainable societies requires unity and working with courage and lucidity. Likewise, in this sense, the Director of the Carolina Foundation, José Antonio Sanahuja, stressed the role of advanced cooperation, based on social welfare that redefines the social contract and contemplates the 2030 Agenda.
In addition, the Director for Latin America, the Caribbean and Relations with Overseas Countries and Territories of the European Commission's Directorate-General for International Partnerships (INTPA), Jolita Butkeviciene, explained during her presentation the importance of defining and finding ways to make this type of partnership more effective.
Following the event, the Executive Director of the EU-LAC Foundation and the Secretary-General of SEGIB signed a cooperation agreement between the two institutions for joint activities in 2022 aimed at strengthening EU-LAC relations.
