The EU-LAC Foundation participated as an observer in the VII Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), held on Tuesday in Buenos Aires. In this context, the President of the EU-LAC Foundation, Leire Pajín, and the Executive Director, Dr Adrián Bonilla, exchanged with authorities from several countries of the region on the strengthening of relations between Latin America and the Caribbean and the European Union (EU).
In the Buenos Aires Declaration, approved at the Summit, the CELAC Heads of State and Government highlighted the III Meeting of CELAC-EU Ministers, celebrated in October 2022. That reunion 'made it possible to reactivate the inclusive dialogue between both regions after more than four years and to recover the bi-regional spaces for cooperation', according to the document. In addition, a Road Map was adopted at that ministerial event to contribute to the bi-regional preparatory work for the Third EU-CELAC Summit to be held this year.
The Declaration also highlights the success of the second edition of the "Updating and training Programme for young diplomats on the CELAC-EU strategic partnership", jointly organised by the EU-LAC Foundation and the Foreign Service Institute of Argentina.
In the context of the Summit, St. Vincent and the Grenadines was elected by the 33 member countries of the forum to hold the Pro Tempore Presidency of CELAC. The President of the Foundation, Leire Pajín, and the Executive Director, Dr Adrián Bonilla, held a meeting with the Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr Ralph Gonsalves, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Keisal Peters, during which the links between Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America were discussed.
The EU-LAC Foundation congratulates St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the first English-speaking Caribbean country to hold this position, and reaffirms the desire to work closely with its government to strengthen the bi-regional agenda and make the upcoming EU-CELAC Summit a success.
The EU-LAC Foundation representatives also discussed with Costa Rica's Vice-Minister for Multilateral Affairs, Christian Guillermet, how Costa Rica can contribute to the EU-LAC strategic relationship. Likewise, Pajín and Dr Bonilla exchanged relevant information with the Chilean delegation and the Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB) regarding an EU-CELAC Summit in 2023. In addition, Leire Pajín spoke with the Presidential Adviser and former Foreign Minister of Brazil, Celso Amorim.
Created in 2010 by the Heads of State and Government of CELAC and the EU, the EU-LAC Foundation's mission is to strengthen and promote the bi-regional strategic partnership, enhancing its visibility and fostering the active participation of the respective civil societies.
