Europe and Latin America: Between withdrawal and convergence. Results of the summit meeting in Mexico

Abstract

Delegations from 58 Latin American countries, the Caribbean and the EU met on the 28th and 29th of May in Guadalajara, Mexico. It was the third inter-regional summit since 1999 and the first following the eastern enlargement of the EU. Two topics were at the center of the diplomatic event: Multilateralism and Social Cohesion. Beyond the usual declarations of intent, the announcement that the EU-Mercosur Association Agreement, negotiated since 1999, would be signed in October, was the most important result in the field of cooperation. On the political level, the joint declaration to strengthen multilateralism within the framework of the United Nation reflected a European-Latin American consensus of values that favors a closer partnership in international politics. The results of the summit were not spectacular, but on the whole satisfactory. (SWP Comments / SWP)