THE Spain will focus on the presidency of the European Union (EU) in the second half of 2023 to strengthen relations with the Latin America through cooperation.
Speaking to the press, the Secretary of State for International Cooperation, Pilar Cancela, highlighted the “great opportunity” that Spain has to be the “preferred interlocutor” with regard to Latin America.
“I believe that Latin America is a land of opportunities. Spain would not be defined as it is without Latin America and, from the point of view of development cooperation, we have been cooperating with these countries for over 40 years,” said Cancela before inaugurate a university course on the challenges of the Spanish presidency of the EU in the city of Santander, in northern Spain.
“It is a consolidated, well-established and well-structured cooperation,” he added. Regarding the challenges that Spain will face when presiding over the EU, the Spanish secretary indicated that the fight for equality and against sexist violence and “the look” towards Latin America will be “fundamental”.
“Latin America is also part of the game board, it has enormous potential and I think Spain and Europe should be in Latin America. This bi-regional binomial has to be consolidated in 2023 against the blocks of the United States, China and Russia”, he argued.
Cancela hopes that Europe will see in this relationship a possibility for economic growth, investment or support for global strategies because “the perspective of Latin America balances the world board”.
“Latin America cannot be reduced to three or four countries, which are of interest for political dialogue. Fortunately, Latin America is much more,” he commented.
