Madrid (EFE).- One of Spain’s priorities in its six-month term at the head of the EU will be to establish a framework for political, commercial and financial relations that will leave Europe and Latin America “united forever” as the natural allies that they are.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, has marked this ambitious objective of the Spanish presidency in an interview with EFE before traveling to Santo Domingo to participate in the XXVIII Ibero-American Summit, the first stage of this renewed commitment to Latin America.
Albares sees two factors that lead him to be optimistic for the definitive consolidation of relations between the EU and Latin America.
The first is the commitment that Spain is going to make and that has already resulted in the calling, after 8 years, of a bilateral summit between the Union and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), with which Spain will practically open his presidency in mid-July.
And the second, according to the minister, is the war in Ukraine that has led to a new look from Europe towards Latin America. “We Europeans have rediscovered that we need partners, friends and allies in the world.”
“Latin America is by far – says Albares – the most Eurocompatible region on the planet, with the same values, the same commitment to multilateralism, the rejection of war, respect for the United Nations Charter… it is natural that we work together” .
However, the head of Spanish diplomacy considers that we must be proactive and intensify the common agenda. “The rethinking that we Europeans have to do is how we can be more useful to Latin America, what can we offer.”
“What Europe cannot continue doing is what has been done too many times in recent years, which is taking Latin America for granted, taking Latin America for granted, precisely because they are totally compatible with us, they are close to us, they share our values. ”, he emphasizes.
Albares aspires to concrete achievements and says that by the end of the year there should have been significant progress in trade agreements with Mexico, Chile and Mercosur, a work program with consistent financing for Latin America and an understanding by all European partners of that Latin America is “the natural ally of Europe”.
Brazil
The XXVIII Ibero-American Summit will not have the presence of the President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, since his agenda will take him in the coming days to an official visit to China, a country that in recent years has been increasing its presence in Latin America to become the main trading partner of the subcontinent.
José Manuel Albares does not believe that the absence of Lula and the fact that it is precisely due to a visit to China is a bad sign for the expectations of success of the summit, nor for the European aspirations to recover a privileged place as an economic partner of Latin America.
“President Lula has a set agenda, but his Minister of Foreign Affairs -Mauro Vieira-, with whom I have met on several occasions, will already be present,” Albares points out, adding that Lula’s Brazil is a Brazil that believes in multilateralism, that believes in joint solutions to global challenges and, therefore, is going to add and reinforce fundamental aspects of those that are going to be dealt with at the summit.
European doubts about the commitment of the previous Brazilian government regarding the protection of the Amazon are one of the reasons why the agreement between the EU and Mercosur has remained blocked since 2008. Now things have changed and this agreement, beneficial for both parties, can get ahead.
“Nobody doubts the environmental commitment, the commitment to the Amazon of President Lula. Therefore – Albares confides -, with President Lula at the head of Brazil, this is the moment to do it, because we have a person who has an environmental agenda exactly the same as the European one and whose commitment to defending the environment, with the defense of biodiversity, with the fight against climate change, is beyond any doubt”.
Mexico
As in the case of Lula, neither the Mexican president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, will attend the summit, nor even the foreign minister of that country, Marcelo Ebrard, but also, as in the case of Lula, José Manuel Albares, downplays it:
“The important thing is not who is going to be, but what each country contributes and Mexico contributes a lot to the Ibero-American community.”
The Spanish minister refers to the relations between the two countries, which the Mexican president considers “on pause”, and stresses that it is difficult to find such a dense, rich and solid relationship between two countries.
“It is not possible to pause a fraternal relationship made between people, consolidated in personal ties, in family ties, in cultural exchanges, in business exchanges,” says Albares.
Venezuela
Spain looks with hope at the situation in Venezuela after the humanitarian agreement and is, according to Albares, at the disposal of the government and the opposition “if they think there is something in which we can be of use to them.”
The important thing is that a “fundamental and definitive” political agreement is reached, says the Spanish minister, who, when asked if the recognition of Juan Guaidó as president was a mistake, limits himself to affirming that Spain “has always made the same commitment : that the solution that Venezuela wants to give itself comes through peaceful means and through dialogue between Venezuelans”.
Colombia
Spain is also going to get involved from the outset, says José Manuel Albares, accompanying President (Gustavo) Petro in the global peace process in Colombia and is at his disposal at the times and on the agenda that he determines.
Nicaragua
The minister also referred to the situation of those deported from Nicaragua whose nationality has been withdrawn by the Daniel Ortega regime and has reiterated Spain’s commitment to those who have been expelled to obtain Spanish nationality by naturalization letter, the fastest and most direct way to achieve it.
Faced with this “infamous and infamous” penalty, Albares insists that Spain will offer this possibility -81 applications have already been registered- to all Nicaraguans who find themselves in this situation and to those who may join in the future, even if they do not move to reside to Spain.
It will also help those who do want to come and start a new life here for as long as it takes to relocate.
With these purposes, José Manuel Albares will travel tomorrow to the Dominican Republic accompanying King Felipe VI to participate in the XXVIII Ibero-American Summit.