During their annual meeting on Monday 16 and Tuesday 17 July, the foreign affairs ministers of the EU and of the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean will take stock of the political and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela, which is also affecting Venezuela's bordering countries.
The authorities of Venezuela and the EU will take advantage of this meeting to state their respective positions, a senior EU official said on Friday 13 July. He mentioned the new sanctions that the EU adopted in June in response to the holding of presidential and regional elections in Venezuela that did not uphold international standards (see EUROPE 12048).
"It's sad but there's no hope of a positive evolution (of the situation on the ground) in the short term", the official deplored.
The ministers will adopt a joint statement at the end of their meeting and will underline the importance of multilateralism for addressing global challenges such as climate change and the fight against drugs.
Trade and investment-linked issues are also expected to be tackled. The Mercosur ministers could extend their stay to continue negotiations on the free trade agreement with the EU (see EUROPE 12056). (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)