Do I love you in this edition of Brussels? We analyzed the EU-CELAC summit, which brought together 60 heads of state and government from both continents in Brussels. The focus of the summit was on trade, Ukraine and resuming relations after an eight-year hiatus.
This week our set hosted Socialist and Democrat MEP Javi López, Washington Post journalist Beatriz Ríos and EU-LAT network political coordinator Daniel Jiménez.
The panellists delved into the big Brussels news of the week: the gigantic meeting between the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean and the member states of the EU. Known as the EU-CELAC Summit, it was the third of its kind after an eight-year hiatus.
Javi López, President of the Euro-Latin American delegation in the European Parliament, reiterated that “the problem over the past ten years has been that political dialogue has not been carried out at the level of cultural, human and economic relations that already exist”.
“It was very important to meet old friends to talk about how we can overcome big challenges together,” he said.
Daniel Jiménez insisted that we are not starting from scratch: “Not all political actors have stopped promoting Latin American-European relations. There are many lessons learned and collective wisdom, and we must try to build on that foundation.”
Beatriz Ríos reported on the intense summit, adding that Ukraine and a possible joint declaration of war are at the heart of the discussion.
“In the end there was no outright condemnation of the war, but concern was expressed about the situation in Ukraine. That shows the differences that exist in managing this war and its aftermath, but the overall vision is respect for international law,” he said.
In addition, the panellists analyzed the multi-million euro deal between the EU and Tunisia. The text, which is still to be finalized, provides for up to 700 million euros in EU funds and loans to strengthen the Tunisian economy. 105 million euros will be made available for the topics of migration and border management.
We wonder if these arrangements really work and if outsourcing is the right strategy to deal with immigration in Europe.
The guests also commented on the inflated prices that fans have to pay to attend the concerts of their favorite artists. Has going to a live concert become a luxury few can afford?
See “Brussels, do I love you?” in the player above.