2023-07-19 07:20:20
“It’s a good sign. I’m very happy,” said the High Commissioner for Foreign Affairs of the European Union,Joseph Borrell, on the second day of the summit with the States of Latin America and the Caribbean. Borrell praised the fact that representatives of some 50 of the possible 60 European and Latin American states had met in Brussels to start a relaunch of their relations, a new beginning.
Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of the Caribbean nation of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, was brief in his assessment of the EU-Latin America Summit. “Hope, trust, love” were the messages that came out of the meeting with European leaders, said Gonsalves, who is currently also president of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC).
Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, said it felt like “old friends” had rekindled their relationship. She announced that, from now on, they would meet in the grand rounds every two years. The last such meeting before this summit was eight years ago.
Was there a joint condemnation of the Russian attack on Ukraine?
The summit declaration mentions the war in Ukraine. The document expresses “concern” that immense suffering is being caused. It is not mentioned who the aggressor is, that is, Russia. With the exception of Nicaragua, loyal to Moscow, all CELAC and EU states were able to support this text following arduous negotiations. Cuba and Venezuela, also close allies of Russia, renounced their opposition following the greatly softened the paragraph on Ukraine.
The Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Xavier Bettel, criticized that the facts cannot be denied and history rewritten. However, the statement references relevant United Nations statements condemning Russia’s attack. He also mentions the UN Charter, which prohibits aggressive wars. CELAC President Ralph Gonsalves said they did not want the summit of the two continents to deal exclusively with Ukraine. “The tone is right now,” Gonsalves said.
Many opportunities for bilateral meetings: here German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (2nd from right) with Chilean President Gabriel Boric (2nd from left).Image: Geert Vanden Wijngaert/AP Photo/picture alliance
How does the EU deal with colonial history?
Gonsalves had also put on the table an apology for colonial exploitation, the genocide of indigenous peoples and the slave trade, as well as the possibility of reparations. Although the EU leaders were willing to express their regrets for the colonial injustices, they did not want to know anything regarding reparations. The head of government of the former British colony of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines admitted that these issues, especially the exploitation of slaves, were “very complex” issues. Brazil, for example, continued to import and exploit slaves even following it gained independence from Portugal 200 years ago.
What is the free trade agreement with Mercosur?
The review of the free trade agreement between the European Union and the four Mercosur states (Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay), which has not yet been ratified, should go ahead by the end of the year. Both Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz were optimistic. The EU demands concrete commitments from them on rainforest protection and climate objectives. The Brazilian president rejected the demands, calling them paternalism. However, in a meeting with business representatives in Brussels, Lula da Silva repeated his promise to completely halt deforestation in the Amazon by 2030.
How will economic relations develop?
Even without a free trade agreement, European companies, supported by the EU Commission, want to invest in South America: in energy projects, infrastructure and extraction of raw materials needed, for example, for the construction of batteries. The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, spoke of 45,000 million euros that will be allocated to it in the next four years.
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