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LATIN AMERICA-CARIBBEAN AND EUROPEAN UNION SUMMIT FOR PERU IN MAY

A summit of the European Union and the Latin America-Caribbean (LAC) region will be held in Lima, Peru, beginning May 16, it was announced at the Organization of American States (OAS) headquarters today.

Slovenia’s Foreign Affairs Ministers, Dimitrij Rupel, whose country holds the EU presidency, told an OAS Permanent Council meeting, chaired by Barbados’ Ambassador Michael King, that at least 20 heads of state and government from Europe are expected at the Fifth EU-Latin America and Caribbean Summit.

Ambassador Maria Zavala, the Permanent Representative of Peru—which is co-chairing the Summit along with Slovenia—said 51 heads of state and government from Latin America and the Caribbean are confirmed for the meeting, with the Caribbean likely to further increase its representation.

“Our aim is to strengthen strategic partnerships between the two regions based on mutual respect, common values and economic, political, cultural, historical and human ties,” Foreign Minister Rupel told the OAS member state ambassadors in the Permanent Council. The summit is one of the largest EU events involving third countries, he said, adding that the EU-LAC Summit in Lima is “an opportunity to further build partnership between our two regions by focusing on the main issues: the fight against poverty, inequality and exclusion; and sustainable development, the environment, climate change and energy.”

The Lima Summit will be preceded by a one-day business meeting that the Slovenian Foreign Minister described as another step forward in strengthening economic cooperation, given that traditionally the EU is the most important foreign investor in Latin America and the Caribbean region, and the largest foreign donor to the region to which it provides some 1.2 billion Euros in donation per year. Rupel also noted that the Slovenian capital, Ljubljana, will host an EU-United States Summit in June this year.

Meanwhile, Ambassador King welcomed the announcement of the Summit, noting the significance it holds for the ongoing fight against poverty, inequality and social exclusion, and for ensuring “we will put our efforts together to improve the quality of life of our citizens and to boost economic cooperation.”

OAS Assistant Secretary General Albert Ramdin, in discussions with the Slovenian Foreign Minister, applauded the focus of the upcoming summit on social cohesion and environment. He emphasized the enormous diversity in the Western Hemisphere, suggesting due consideration be given to the different needs and different levels of development, particularly as regards the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and Central America subregions. Ramdin also proposed the EU and the OAS agree on a cooperation framework agreement, so projects emerging from next month’s summit could be implemented through an OAS platform.

The Permanent Council members also considered a request by Iceland for permanent observer status, and referred it to the Committee on Juridical and Political Affairs for study and recommendation. They also elected Panama, through Ambassador Aristides Royo, to the Committee of the Leo S. Rowe Pan American Fund; and heard a report by the Honduran Permanent Representative, Ambassador Carlos Sosa, on his country’s efforts towards due protection of human rights against the backdrop of international agreements.

Reference: E-128/08