Santiago de Compostela, Spain-. Economy and finance ministers from Europe and Latin America are meeting in this city today and are confident of strengthening relations.
This was reflected in the atmosphere in Madrid during two days in which the challenges of the 2030 Agenda and in particular climate change occupied spaces that tried to bring positions closer together.
Under the auspices of the CAF Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean and the Spanish Ministry of Economy, the meetings took place in the presence of several heads of the so-called new world sector.
The Iberian country took advantage of the six-month Spanish presidency of the European Union (EU) and saved the summit with the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac) in Brussels last July.
Well, as the first vice-president and acting economy minister of Spain, Nadia Calviño, pointed out, there is now an opportunity for new meetings of the 27 with Celac in Santiago de Compostela, the capital of Galicia.
Famous as the highlight of the Way of St. James pilgrimage and for its old part, which is a world cultural heritage site, the city has been the scene of high-level meetings between delegations from 60 countries since this Thursday and again on Friday.
The meeting began with a seminar for economic editors from the EU and Latin America with the presentation of the economic and development report prepared by the CAF and a conference of the banking company led by its executive president Sergio Díaz Granados.
This Friday the informal meeting of the EU economic and finance ministers will take place here, bringing together 33 ministers or their representatives from Latin America and the Caribbean as well as the 27 Europeans.
Before that, the CAF will hold its board meeting this Thursday, to which it has summoned all participants of the events in Madrid, especially from Latin America.
Nadia Calviño emphasized that the talks would bring together delegates from 21 percent of global GDP and praised the importance of Celac for the future of the so-called old continent.
“Europe has Latin America and the Caribbean as key partners in this new international order based on multilateralism, democratic values and development with sustainable growth for all,” he noted.
For his part, the Executive President of CAF, Sergio Díaz, pointed out that his institution’s annual conference in Europe aims to promote a new EU investment agenda.
“Last July, the investment of 45 billion euros by 2027 was announced to help reduce poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean, but we must continue to balance the fiscal, social and environmental agenda and achieve sustainable and inclusive growth,” he emphasized.