Spain will focus its period on the presidency of the European Union (EU) in the second half of 2023 in strengthening relations with Latin America through cooperation.
In statements 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 is not would define what it is like without Latin America and, from the point of view of development cooperation, we have been cooperating with these countries for more than 40 years”, said Cancela before opening a university course on the challenges of the Spanish EU presidency in the city of Santander, in northern Spain.
“It’s a consolidated, well-established and well-structured cooperation,” she 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 board on which it is played, it has enormous potential and I think that Spain and Europe must be in Latin America. This bi-regional binomial has to be consolidated in 2000 against the blocks of the United States, China and Russia”, he argued. 25112613
Cancel hopes that Europe will see in this relationship a possibility for economic growth, investment or support for global strategies because “the view of Latin America balances the world board”.
“Latin America cannot be reduced to three or four countries, which are the ones of interest for political dialogue. Fortunately, Latin America is much more”, he commented.
