The president of France, Emmanuel Macron, received in Paris, this February 19, the president of Guatemala, Bernardo Arévalo, to whom he offered unconditional support.
Arévalo traveled to Europe last Thursday, February 15, on a work tour that included official meetings with senior officials and presidents of several countries.
In his X account, the French president wrote: “Dear Bernardo, you can count on the unconditional support of France in your fight for democracy in Guatemala.”
In addition, he said that together they will work for a fairer transition on the international scene and for closer relations between both countries.
The Guatemalan president met with Macron at the Elysée Palace, in what he described as “a very good meeting”, during which both identified “a series of convergence issues” on issues such as development, climate change or institutional strengthening, according to He indicated in statements to EFE.
They also analyzed “very specific opportunities” in these fields to “start working and create a joint cooperation agenda.”
Macron has not made any official trip to Latin America since arriving at the Elysée in 2017, although it is believed that in the coming months he might make a visit, at least to Brazil.
Arévalo explained that he invited his French counterpart to visit Guatemala, “to which he responded positively in principle, and we agreed to start looking at dates for next year” (2025), although it is something that “will have to be developed as we go.” “.
With UNESCO
Arévalo also met in Paris with Audrey Azoulay, director general of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Azoulay published on his X account a thank you to Arévalo for dedicating his first official visit to a multilateral organization to UNESCO.
“I welcome #Guatemala’s desire to put education and culture at the top of its national agenda. @UNESCO_es will support these efforts,” reads the message, which is accompanied by several photographs.
The Government of Guatemala reported on its social networks that Arévalo and Azoulay seek to strengthen collaboration in educational and cultural projects.
They also pointed out that Guatemala, as a member and founding country of UNESCO, committed to that organization to promote peace through culture.
Specifically, they discussed the progress of the conversations held with the organization by the Guatemalan vice president, Karin Herrera, a scientist by profession, for development in science and technology issues, as well as the Minister of Education, Anabella Giracca, in issues of interculturality.
Arévalo and Azoulay also discussed issues of heritage protection, since Guatemala is part of a group of Latin American countries that works with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for the protection of archaeological heritage and fights once morest auctions of objects illegally taken from their territories.
“We speak very clearly regarding the collaboration that must exist” to prevent these auctions, “because they become an incentive for the extraction of our countries’ heritage,” stated the Guatemalan president.
Arévalo also visited the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris, where he met with the Secretary General, Mathias Cormann, and the head of the Development Assistance Committee, to “identify some opportunities for collaboration.”
Finally, this followingnoon the main business organization in France, MEDEF, was scheduled to attend the headquarters to present to its managers and executives from several large companies the vision of the development of the new Government and “the opportunities that exist in this vision for the participation of international actors”.
Hand in hand!
Dear Bernardo, you can count on the unconditional support of France in your fight for democracy in Guatemala.
Together, we will work for a fairer transition on the international stage and for closer relations between our countries. pic.twitter.com/HmpLv9cbWJ
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) February 19, 2024
Thanks to the President @BArevalodeLeon for dedicating his first official visit to a multilateral organization to UNESCO. I welcome the wish of #Guatemala to put education and culture at the top of its national agenda. The @UNESCO_es will support these efforts. pic.twitter.com/XNDiKKFhUp
— Audrey Azoulay (@AAzoulay) February 19, 2024
Next stop
Then, President Arévalo will travel to Belgium, where he will be on February 19 and 20. There, a memorandum of understanding will be signed for the establishment of a bilateral consultation mechanism between the European Union and the Republic of Guatemala and meetings with representatives of the European Union and the European Parliament.
On February 21, Bernardo Arévalo will arrive in Switzerland, where he has meetings with representatives of the United Nations and the OHCHR on the agenda.
“We will also have a visit to Geneva, where we will have different meetings with directors of organizations, including the International Olympic Committee (IOC),” the president announced prior to his trip.
He stated that this meeting is with the objective of “finding a solution” so that the classified athletes can compete with the Guatemalan flag. Since the IOC suspended the Guatemalan Olympic Committee, the country’s delegation has participated in international events under the white flag. The president recently commented that there have already been contacts with the IOC through letters.
Goes to Spain
Between February 22 and 23, President Arévalo and his delegation will arrive in Spain. There he will meet with King Felipe VI and there will be another meeting with the World Tourism Organization and the Spanish Confederation of Business Organizations.
Previous meetings
During his tour in Europe, President Bernardo Arévalo held separate meetings with the President of Ukraine, Volodímir Zelensky, and with the Secretary of Homeland Security of the United States, Alejandro Mayorkas.
Who accompanies the president?
According to information from the Secretariat of Social Communication of the Presidency, President Arévalo will be accompanied by:
- Carlos Ramiro Martínez, Foreign Minister of Guatemala
- Mónica Bolaños, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs
- Ana Glenda Tager, Private Secretary of the Presidency
- And in Spain they will join:
- Gabriela García-Quinn, Minister of Economy
- Lucrecia Peinado, wife of the President
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