The dire predictions with which the summit between the leaders of the European Union, Latin America and the Caribbean began yesterday turned into unexpected joy with the announcement of a joint declaration on the war in Ukraine that allowed both parties to describe the meeting as a "success". total” and to inaugurate a new stage of bi-regional cooperation, a new time much sought after by both parties to face the new geopolitical challenges.
The leaders of the 27 EU countries and 32 of the 33 members of CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) "express our deep concern over the current war against Ukraine", states paragraph 15 of the declaration, of 41 points, which laments the human suffering that the conflict is causing and goes on to enumerate its global consequences, from the increase in food and energy prices to problems in the supply chain or the increase in inequalities. "In this sense, we support the need for a just and sustainable peace," concludes the controversial paragraph.
Only Nicaragua distanced itself from the common declaration, supported by 59 countries (27 from the EU and 32 from Celac). Far from being bad news, the fact that the Daniel Ortega regime stands out as the only unfailing ally of the Kremlin in the region is seen as a major diplomatic triumph for Europe, which sees it as evidence of Vladimir Putin's international isolation. . At the top of the European Council, they gloated over the bad night they were going to have in Moscow when they saw that Venezuela and Cuba had signed the declaration.
Despite the slight tone of the agreed text, for several days there was serious fear that it would not be possible to reach any agreement that would respond to the positions of the Latin American partners and, at the same time, live up to the expectations of Ukraine's closest allies in the EU, such as Poland or the Baltic countries. In the end, these countries concluded that it was better to push through with a text that was weaker than desired than to be unable to agree on anything.
The declaration does not mention Russia at any time – it was anathema for Havana and Caracas – but it does speak of the war “against” Ukraine and not only of the war “in” Ukraine, as the Latin American negotiators proposed or "the current conflict in Europe", as the first draft of the declaration that arrived from the other side of the Atlantic said. With all its limitations, it is the first time that Europe has managed to get a bi-regional forum to include some critical mention of the war in Ukraine, something that was not possible, for example, in the last CELAC ministerial nor was it raised at the Ibero-American Summit.
"Total success, I still don't believe it," commented sources from the negotiation while they celebrated the result of the summit in the corridors of the Council of the EU with champagne in plastic cups and the European leaders gave an account of the two-day meeting, which lasted until five in the afternoon yesterday, three hours longer than expected.
"An optimistic and promising page is opening in the relationship" between the two blocs, said the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, host of the summit, exultantly. The political agreements reached at the summit affect a "broad field of areas of cooperation" and "will take our relationship to a new dimension", he emphasized before extolling the role of the Spanish presidency of the Council of the EU in organizing the summit . The discussions, added Michel, have made it possible to narrow positions on specific issues such as the reform of the international financial order or the financing of policies against climate change, in addition to signing investment agreements in strategic areas such as raw materials and energy.
"The relationship between Latin America, the Caribbean and the European Union is much stronger today than yesterday thanks to all these agreements", which "affect the issues that concern both parties," said Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and president pro tempore of Celac, who negotiated with Nicaragua, Cuba and Venezuela until the end to reach unanimity on the declaration.
Gonsalves acknowledged that while the summit should not focus on Ukraine, the leaders discussed issues of concern to each side. And if in the Latin American bloc they were interested in talking about access to international financing or aid to meet climate objectives, the Europeans are "understandably" concerned about Ukraine. "Let's not be cynical," added Comrade Ralph, as the veteran Caribbean leader is popularly known, about the results of the summit, which he called to judge in 2025, at the leaders' summit that has already been announced to take place in Colombia .
Ukraine "was not the object of this summit, nor did it occupy our time or prevent us from advancing on all the issues on which we have to advance," said the president of Argentina, Alberto Fernández, exultant for -courtesy of Brexit- having managed to include a mention of the Malvinas in the final text. "The summit has clearly fulfilled the expectations with which many of us came" to Brussels, assured the Argentine leader, who returns home with an agreement under his belt with the EU on energy and raw materials that "will give legal certainty to European investors ”, he assured.
For the first time, Fernández added, "we were able to really talk about mechanisms to end extractivism and the idea that Latin America is only a supplier of primary products" to be able to think about investments that add value to their country. "We have taken five centuries, but we have achieved it," added the Peronist leader half jokingly half seriously.
To questions from Latin American journalists, the issue of access to natural resources, now that the European Union has its eyes on its lithium, loomed over the press conference. "We do not work with threats," Michel said in response to comments made the day before by the president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. “We have no hidden agenda. We are very transparent and what we want is to strengthen economic and commercial ties” with the region.
The summit declaration takes note of the progress in the different open trade negotiations between the two blocs. There was a certain aroma of optimism among the leaders. After the contacts between the different delegations, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, declared herself convinced that it will be possible to finish the modernization of the pact with Mexico "in the coming months", as well as close the talks with Mercosur " Before the end of the year". The political boost expected from the Brazilian side could put France and Austria in political trouble, which continue to resist the 2019 agreement despite the EU's interest in signing the pact as soon as possible, taking advantage of Lula's mandate.
