Portugal defends in Brussels strengthening EU-Latin America relations – Observer
Portugal defends this Monday in Brussels as the European Union’s relations with Latin America cannot be neglected to face the war in nor should they be hostage to trade impasses.
In a discussion at the Council of Foreign Affairs Ministers of the 27, applied by Portugal, which presented an informal reflection document, most of the Member States supported the document, revealed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, João Gomes Crav, statements in press statements.
[Houve] A very interesting discussion on Latin America, which was led by us, as we presented an informal reflection paper on EU relations with Latin America. This document ended up replacing the support of 16 other countries. Some others are not necessarily quite right for a reason or once less, which is that there is great consensus around the need for ministers like the current ones to reinforce as with Latin America”.
In front of his European counterparts, the head of Portuguese diplomacy defended that “what happens in Ukraine is naturally the heart of the EU’s geopolitical attentionbut it cannot be exclusive”.
In other words, our position in the world cannot be exclusively a function that takes place in Ukraine. To that extent, significantly to speak of the 20, very useful and significantly Latin American, and this position of ours, recognized also by the other members of Latin America and our significant position, which is held in 2023 a Latin American cim and our preparatory work between now and 2023.
João Gomes Cravinho presented America, in the first significant place, which he thinks of being “Relative Latin geopolitics to the European Union”, which is a reflection of “relative Latin geopolitics to the European Union”, must know how to interact with other parts of the world beyond their immediate interests here in Europe”.
Instead, we underlined that Latin America is a region of the world that is tributary from the philosophical and political point of view of Europe, and in this sense it is very easy to have a platform for common dialogue. There is a diversity of expression policies in Latin America and there is a diversity of expressions in Europe, and therefore this should be a stimulus, not a concern in our dialogue”, he argued.
Among many areas of common interest, the minister highlighted the green transitionstating that “Latin America has a very important contribution to make, and also Europe to make to Latin America” in this field, as well as “the digital transition, everything that has to do with biodiversity and the protection of the oceans”, or even more “the need to overcome problems of social injustice and social division in Latin America”, which “are issues for which the relationship with Europe is important”.
Latin America that we wanted to underline the fact that there is no thematic agreement with America, which is very useful for us, it must not be the whole package of European-America relations. We can, we can too, we can defend this, at the level of other companies, simultaneously we will also advance. We must not agree on all points waiting for a commercial reinforcement”,
Also on this matter of trade agreements, he noted that “the agreement with Mexico is concludedready and waiting for bureaucratic procedures for several years”, adding that “there is no excuse for this”, he pointed out that “equally in relation to Chile we are very close to an understanding“, “with Mercosur, some EU countries have divergent positions, there is more work to be done, but we are also not far from an understanding”.
“And, therefore, it seems to us that these issues are based on a disproportionate role, as the relationship is very conditional, and this necessarily for the European Union”, he concluded.