Let me start by thanking the Spanish Presidency for hosting this meeting and welcoming us to the beautiful city of Santiago.
At the EU-CELAC Summit in July, we agreed to pursue a dynamic new agenda, delivering win-win outcomes for both our regions.
In particular, we share the ambition to make our economies greener and more digital. This is essential for future-proofing our economies, and for boosting our resilience in an increasingly unstable geopolitical reality.
Building on the successful Summit, our discussions today focused on two concrete solutions.
First, the roll-out of the EU-Latin America Caribbean Global Gateway Investment Agenda of 45 billion euros.
This will:
- boost sustainable economic growth;
- Support a fair, green and digital transition; and
- Tackle inequalities in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Second, the reform of the global financial architecture. Next week, we will meet at the SDG Summit and it's clear that we have to revamp our financial architecture to put the SDGs back on track.
The EU has been actively engaged in the reform of the multilateral development banks process.
At the Annual Meetings of the IMF and World Bank in October, we should work together to move this agenda forward.
Trade also has a key role to play, underpinned by strong, modern, and mutually beneficial agreements.
These deals can help our exporting companies, including SMEs, to develop, internationalise and grow. Dedicated sustainability chapters, and cooperation on digital and data issues, will help drive our twin transitions forward.
So, let me provide a brief state of play:
The July summit injected new political dynamism towards conclusion of the EU-Mercosur agreement. Presidents von der Leyen and Lula da Silva declared that they were ready to conclude by the end of the year.
We had a constructive virtual meeting of chief negotiators yesterday, and we also received the response from Mercosur as regards our proposal for a sustainability instrument.
This agreement is of major economic and geostrategic importance, and all parties should now make every effort to get a deal done.
The EU-Chile Agreement is on track for signature before the end of the year. This modern and progressive deal will support shared interests and values, including a strong sustainability dimension.
We also want to make decisive progress towards modernising the EU-Mexico deal.
These agreements are primed to take our relations to the next level. This is why we are keen to invest political energy into making decisive progress in the coming weeks and months.
