Brussels, 10/05/2006 (Agence Europe) - Commissioners Benita Ferrero-Waldner (External Relations), Peter Mandelson (Trade), Louis Michel (Development) and the President of the Commission, José Manuel Barroso, the 25 Heads of State and government of the European Union, together with the Austrian Chancellor and president of the European Council Wolfgang Schüssel at their head, and their 33 Latin American and Caribbean counterparts will be participating on 11-13 May in Vienna at the 4th EU/Latin America and Caribbean Summit for strengthening the strategic bi-regional partnership. Key figures from the South American side will include, presidents Nestor Kirchner (Argentina), Evo Morales (Bolivia), Luis Ignacio Lula da Silva (Brazil), Michelle Bachelet (Chile), Vicente Fox (Mexico), Ramon Vasquez (Uruguay) and Hugo Chavez (Venezuela). The only absentee of any stature will be Cuban president Fidel Castro. There will be a Foreign Affairs Ministers level meeting and a “Business Summit” with more than 200 company directors, bankers and political decision-makers will be attending. High level bilateral and regional meetings will also be held. Representatives from cooperation and development from 7 Central American counties (Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama and the Dominican Republic) took part on 10 May in Vienna, together with representatives from the EU and international money lenders, in the Forum on Harmonisation and Adaptation, where they debated measures that aimed to improve coordination of regional development projects and development aid.
Drawing from the conclusions at the 2004 summit in Guadalajara (Mexico), questions on the promotion of social cohesion, human rights, the regional integration processes and multilateralism will be on the agenda for discussions at the 4th EU/LAC Summit. Europeans and Latin Americans will also be looking at the development of the partnership between the two regions initiated in 1999. On 28 February the Council of the EU reaffirmed its support for a reinforced strategic partnership with the South American continent (EUROPE 9141) that includes fostering political dialogue between the two regions, stimulating economic and commercial relations and promoting regional integration and fighting against inequalities, as well as adapting aid and development policies of the Union to actual conditions in Latin America. In a press release, Ms Ferrero-Waldner warned, however, that, “We Europeans will do all in our power to pave the way towards a closer partnership but we expect our counterparts to show the necessary political willing for overcoming barriers on their side”.
In the firing line - the recent nationalisation of fuel reserves in Bolivia by the government of Evo Morales, which has been greeted with some concern in Europe (EUROPE 9183), as well as the multiplication of “anti-imperialist” declarations from Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez (who heads a country that enjoys significant oil export capacities). Trade and energy questions also had an important standing in discussions. Mr Chavez will take part in demonstrations for an alternative forum on Friday in a backdrop to the summit.
The European Commission is hoping that the 4th EU/LAC summit will confirm the re-launch last September (EUROPE 9020) of negotiations for an association and free trade agreement between the Union and Mercosur (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay), negotiations, however, remain short of obtaining a conclusion in the Doha Round.
Depending on the regional integration process in Central American and in the community of Andean Nations (CAN), the summit will make a decision on the possibility of opening negotiations for a conclusion of association agreements including free trade zones. Although the Commission is expecting an opening up of negotiations for association agreements with Central American countries (Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, panama, Dominican Republic and El Salvador), optimism is lacking in connection with the possibility of opening negotiations with the Andean community (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru), whose regional integration is threatened following the recent withdrawal of Venezuela, under the direction of Mr Chavez, who wants to integrate his country into Mercosur.
The summit will be an opportunity for demonstrating how it supports relations with Caribbean countries, which, by launching the project for the Single Market and Economy, have taken an important step in their regional integration process. A Commission proposal to implement a new strategy for the Caribbean and promote a strong partnership in development, the fight against poverty, democracy, human rights and international security was adopted by the Council in April.