Guatemala City, by Brenda Larios -AGN- The Minister of Foreign Affairs Mario Búcaro, on behalf of the President of Guatemala, Alejandro Giammattei, represented the Guatemalan delegation participating in the III Summit of Heads of State and Government of the European Union -EU- and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States -CELAC-.
It was held in Brussels, Belgium, from July 17 to 18, 2023. The regional summit between the EU and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States -CELAC- brought leaders from Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean to strengthen relations between the two regions.
The Foreign Minister stated, “We are very proud to be able to represent Guatemala. This summit has brought unity, an important political discussion, and opportunities for economic development in the region. This meeting has economic opportunities for developing a better region.”
It has been eight years since the last EU-CELAC Summit. On this occasion, Guatemala contributed to renewing and strengthening existing relations between the two regions, continuing the bi-regional dialogue.
Topics
During the Summit, the Heads of State and Government will address issues related to:
- Climate change.
- Fair and inclusive digital transformation and narrowing of digital gaps.
- Citizen security, social cohesion, and the fight against transnational organized crime.
- Trade, sustainable development.
- Post-pandemic economic recovery.
- Dialogue on the reform of the international financial architecture.
Guatemala’s Presentation
The Minister of Foreign Affairs Búcaro will participate in the Plenary Session of the III EU-CELAC Summit of Heads of State and Government.
This session focused on the need for greater cooperation to increase efforts against climate change.
As well as working on mechanisms to ensure access to fair and equitable medicines; and encourage transitions to fair trade, among other issues.
Guatemala shared its progress in renewable energy, food and nutritional security, and attention to migration with the international community, likewise, on generating economic opportunities and developing trade and investment to address the challenges that persist in our regions.
Investment
The Guatemalan delegation attended the Business Roundtable, where participants explored investment opportunities in different areas to address social problems, create fair and decent jobs and formal employment, education and vocational training, gender equality, youth, empowerment, and corporate social responsibility.
The final results of the III Summit included the signing of the Political Declaration of Heads of State and Government and the Joint Declaration on the LAC-EU Digital Alliance to integrate the dimensions of environmental protection, climate change, bettering resilience, gender equality, and digital inclusion for social inclusion.
As part of the work agenda, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Guatemala also attended meetings with his counterparts to reinforce the bilateral plans on common interests.
The Summit
These summits represent an extension of the EU-Latin America and the Caribbean -LAC- Summit held since 1999.
The summit was held in Mexico in 2010; 33 LAC countries decided to merge the Rio Group and the CALC (Latin American and Caribbean Summits on Development and Cooperation) into a single forum: the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States -CELAC-.
The II CELAC-EU Summit took place in Brussels in 2015. It was later scheduled for 2017 in El Salvador. The III Summit was held again in Brussels six years after the nations reached the agreement.
