Ambassadors of the Member States to the European Union (Coreper) gave the green light, on Friday 26 May, to the position that the EU27 will defend, with a view to drafting the joint declaration to be adopted at the EU/CELAC summit on 17 and 18 July in Brussels (see EUROPE 13182/18).
A European source confirmed that “there is agreement on the text to be sent” to the Latin American partners.
According to our information, the Member States want the EU and the Latin American countries to work together at the WTO to reform the international organisation and make progress in negotiations on multilateral trade agreements. But the reference to the EU/Mercosur agreement has been put in brackets.
Another sensitive element of the future declaration will be the reference to Russian military aggression against Ukraine, with Latin American countries refusing to align themselves with the European position of supplying arms to Kyiv.
The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, will visit the region from 11 June after the EU institution unveils its new political agenda on 7 June.
The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, was in Cuba on Friday to advance bilateral relations by scheduling a dialogue on human rights and stimulating private enterprise between now and the end of 2023, and to prepare for the EU/CELAC summit. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)