BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, CMC – Heads of State and Government of the European Union (EU) and the Community of Latin American and the Caribbean States (CELAC) will be meeting in Brussels for the EU-CELAC Summit from July 17 to 18 – the first in eight years.
The Summit will be co-chaired by the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, and the Prime Minister of St. Vincent & Grenadines, Dr Ralph Gonsalves, as pro-tempore Presidency of CELAC.
President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the Heads of State and Government of the 33 CELAC Member States and the 27 EU Member States will be in attendance.
A dedicated meeting between Caribbean and EU Leaders will be held before the EU-CELAC Summit.
This meeting aims to hold a concentrated political conversation on pertinent mutually beneficial issues such as the green transition, climate finance, the structured cooperation between the EU and the Caribbean area, existing security challenges such as Haiti, and the larger geopolitical environment.
The Caribbean-EU Leaders Meeting is the only sub-regional meeting held on the sidelines of the Summit.
This Summit is an essential political milestone in reinvigorating the bi-regional alliance.
During the EU-CELAC Foreign Affairs Ministers Meeting in Buenos Aires on October 27, high-level political interaction between the two regions was reignited and supported a bi-regional Roadmap as a tangible symbol of a progressive and positive agenda.
Last month, the EU published a New Agenda for Relations with Latin America and the Caribbean, outlining its proposal for a renewed strategic collaboration with LAC ahead of the Summit.
During the upcoming Summit, the leaders will discuss several critical topics, including climate financing; strengthening the common trade agenda; implementing the Global Gateway investment strategy to accelerate a fair green and digital transition and address inequalities; joining forces for justice, citizen security, and the fight against transnational organized crime; and cooperating to promote peace and security, democracy, the rule of law, human rights, and humanitarian aid.
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