On 26 October, Leire Pajín, President of the EU-LAC Foundation travelled to Rome, Italy, where she was invited to attend the X Ministerial Conference Italy - Latin America and the Caribbean, organised by the International Italo-Latin American Organisation (IILA) and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI).
The Italy-Latin America and the Caribbean Conference, a biennial event at the level of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, represents the high point of Italy's dialogue with the Latin American and Caribbean region. This year, the theme focused on "People - Planet - Prosperity: The Future of a Longstanding Partnership". The President of the EU-LAC Foundation participated in all sessions of the Conference, contributing proactively in the People Panel entitled: "Starting over from social cohesion: people at the heart of recovery".
In her intervention, the President stressed that the GDP cannot be the only measure of development and emphasised the need to find specific instruments for the different development realities of countries.
"Overcoming the pandemic can have the potential to renew bi-regional understanding and cooperation, treasuring the advantages of mutual strategic relevance in the face of growing polarity. Knowledge sharing, digital cooperation and access to finance are key. The closer the relationship between Latin America, the Caribbean and the European Union, the better we will be able to address common challenges."
In this regard, she indicated that tackling inequality, especially gender inequality, must be a priority objective.
During her stay in Rome, the President of the EU-LAC Foundation also held several bilateral exchanges with senior officials of the Foundation's membership and other partners to advance the dialogue on how to strengthen the bi-regional relationship between Latin America, the European Union and the Caribbean. Bilateral meetings were held with the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Panama, Dayra Carrizo; with Marina Sereni, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Italy; with Maximiliano Reyes Zuniga, Deputy Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Mexico; with Estefano Sanino, Secretary-General of the European External Action Service; and with Marian Schuegraf, Director for Latin America and the Caribbean of the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Germany. She also exchanged with representatives of international organisations, José Antonio García Balaunde, Representative of the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF) in Europe and Federico Bonaglia, Deputy Director of the OECD Development Centre.
Access the final declaration of the 10th Ministerial Conference Italy - Latin America and the Caribbean in the annexe.
