The EU-Latin America & Caribbean Forum: what form of partnership beyond the Lima summit?
- On: 06.10.2008
- In: Paris, Main auditorium of the Bibliothèque Nationale de France
EU-Latin America & Caribbean Forum: Bi-Regional Partnership in Economics, Social Cohesion and the Environment.
The EU-Latin America & Caribbean Forum was jointly organised by the French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, the Institute of the Americas and the Inter-American Development Bank at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France (French national library) on 6 October 2008. Following on from the 5th Summit held in Lima on 16 May 2008, the Forum was an opportunity to review the action taken and define new objectives for the strategic partnership between the European Union and the Latin America-Caribbean region.
This high-level meeting was attended by 300 participants, including academics, representatives of leading financial institutions and international organisations, who discussed three main issues, namely social cohesion, the food crisis and combating climate change. Rama Yade, the French Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Human Rights, opened the debate along with Luis Alberto Moreno, the President of the IADB, and Jean-Michel Blanquer, the President of the Institute of the Americas. During her speech, Yade stressed "the need to form united groups capable of playing a role in globalisation" and recalled the extent of achievements since, "Europe and Latin America are the two world regions that have gone furthest down this path".
As regards the current financial crisis, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, stated that "the stability of the whole world was at risk" and warned against cuts in public development aid at a time when the emerging and poorest countries were the most seriously affected by the "other crisis", linked to the soaring prices of fuel and raw materials in recent months.
Eneko Landaburu, the European Commission's Director General of External Relations, reviewed progress and recalled the fundamental role played by Europe in implementing the Lima Agenda, particularly in relation to social cohesion, coordinating food policies and defining a common position on climate change.
- Updated: 23.12.2008
