The European Commission announced on Monday an investment of 45,000 million euros in Latin America and the Caribbean, in 135 projects such as the expansion of telecommunications and the reforestation of the Amazon, strengthening cooperation between regional blocs.
“We decided to intensify our cooperation. Today I am pleased to launch our investment agenda for Latin America and the Caribbean […] and we intend to bring more than 45,000 million euros of high-quality European investment to Latin America and the Caribbean”, announced the president of the community executive, Ursula von der Leyen.
Speaking at the start of the business forum between the European Union (EU) and the Latin American and Caribbean region, the day more than 50 leaders of both blocs meet in Brussels, the official said that “more than 135 projects, from clean hydrogen to critical raw materials, from the expansion of the high-throughput data cable network to the production of the most advanced messenger RNA vaccines.”
Examples of projects include cooperation with the Brazilian government and the EU private sector to expand telecommunications networks in the Amazon region, and contributions to an Amazon support fund and the “Brazilian Rainforests” reforestation initiative.
“Only together will we be able to agree on the sectors and value chains that we must prioritize and the best way to promote these investments through capabilities, standards and technical support, so let’s take advantage of this summit to define the investment agenda for the benefit of our two continents. Ursula von der Leyen urged.
Hours before, and after a meeting with the Brazilian president, Lula da Silva, Ursula von der Leyen had already announced that the EU would “invest a lot” in the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean.
The Belgian capital, Brussels, will host this Monday and Tuesday the first summit in eight years between the EU and the countries of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), which will be attended by more than 50 leaders, including Lula da Silva and Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa.
This is the third EU summit with CELAC, eight after the 2015 meeting, and will focus on strengthening the partnership between the two regions to prepare them for new challenges, such as the consequences of covid-19 and the war in Ukraine caused by the Russians. invasion, the ecological and digital transitions, and the resumption of the rules-based international order.
The return to power of the Brazilian president, Lula da Silva, with a pro-European position, also makes this a propitious moment to strengthen diplomatic ties between the EU and CELAC.
Despite the common will to strengthen ties between the regions, the final declaration of the summit is causing disagreements between the European and Latin American bloc, after eight drafts and having passed the text from 13 pages to seven in the most recent version , consulted by Lusa on Sunday.
The reference to the EU-Mercosur agreement – the Common Market of the South, made up of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay – causes greater friction because there are countries of the community bloc (such as France and Austria) that oppose this mention for commercial reasons. and environmental, so the final statement should only highlight work in progress.
Another of the divergent points refers to the inclusion of a mention of the war in Ukraine in the final declaration, given the different positions of the Latin American bloc (that is, by Brazil), with only a condemnation, in general terms, of The conflict is expected for now.
Source: TSF
