Disagreement between the European Union (EU) and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) over Russia’s mention of the war in Ukraine, in the final statement, continues to mark the second day of the summit, despite the negotiations.
After nearly a week of intense negotiations at the ambassadorial level, the EU-CELAC summit began in Brussels on Monday with no consensus on the final statement between the two blocs. Russia in connection with the war in Ukraine.
There were bilateral meetings and between ambassadors on Monday to try to break the diplomatic deadlock, but so far without success, as the new draft of the final statement, which Lusa had access to today, shows that the CELAC countries only express “deep concern on the ongoing war in Ukraine”, while EU member states intend to “deplore with the utmost vehemence the aggression of the Russian Federation” and demand its “total and unconditional withdrawal” from Ukrainian territory.
What is the first EU-CELAC summit in eight years, bringing together in Brussels nearly 60 leaders from both regional blocs, is therefore marked by the different views on the war in Ukraine, expressed in the division over this final statement because, according to a European diplomatic source “are no major developments” in the negotiations.
Another community source told Lusa that, after another meeting this morning and another on Monday evening of member states’ ambassadors to the EU, a new round of bilateral negotiations will now take place.
During the day “a new Coreper is not ruled out”, ie a new meeting of the ambassadors of the member states to the EU, in view of a final statement of this summit, the European source put forward.
At stake are the differing positions in the Latin American bloc, especially Brazil, on the war in Ukraine.
On Monday, at the start of the summit, Brazil’s president, Lula da Silva, in Brussels criticized the “arms race that makes the fight against climate change even more difficult” and argued that the invasion of Ukraine drains resources that could be earmarked for socio-economic programs .
Another divergent topic is the situation in Venezuela, with the most recent draft, accessed by Lusa, calling for a “constructive dialogue between the parties”, adding the EU “with a view to ensuring inclusive and transparent presidential election in 2024”. “.
Initially, the reference to the EU agreement with the Common Market of the South (Mercosur) also caused controversy, but now it is only indicated that the leaders “take note of the work in progress”, a solution that satisfies both regional blocs after a week of ambassadorial negotiations.
The current Spanish presidency of the EU hopes that this summit will be a starting point for developments towards the EU-Mercosur agreement, which covers 25% of the world economy and 780 million people, almost 10% of the world’s population.
This is the third EU summit with CELAC, eight after the 2015 meeting, and aims to strengthen the partnership between the two regions to prepare them for new challenges.
Source: DN
