During the final day of the 4th Summit between the European Union and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), held today in Santa Marta, Colombia, Luís Montenegro provided a positive assessment of Portugal’s involvement, despite several notable absences.
“This participation is worthwhile, and this summit indeed holds significant content for the lives of both Latin American and Caribbean countries, as well as the European Union, touching on various matters that presently mobilize us in terms of cooperation and development of strategic partnerships,” he stated.
Montenegro emphasized that this partnership and joint discussion extend beyond trade exchanges between the two blocs.
“One aspect we’ve developed in the discussions so far, which is also very relevant for both personal and economic security, is precisely the fight against organized crime, narcotrafficking in particular, which is a concern for Europe and Latin America, and especially significant for Portugal,” he noted.
The Prime Minister remarked that the country “is at the center of criminal activity routes, often requiring deeper collaboration and cooperation,” stating, “this is also one of the outcomes of this summit.”
From an economic perspective, he highlighted positive steps at the European level, with the expectation that the EU-Mercosur agreement will be finalized soon, along with bilateral opportunities.
“For Portugal, it is very important to stimulate, develop, and consolidate this diversification of our possibilities in the international market. When we face problems with one of our commercial partners, we often wonder why we’re so dependent on this partner and not pursuing a more global vision. It is precisely through such meetings that we can develop and stimulate this type of economic cooperation,” he explained.
Montenegro did not specify which commercial partner he was referring to and, when asked about whether the summit discussions were marked by the growing tension between the United States and countries like Venezuela and Colombia, he declined to be specific.
“There was a global approach to security issues, organized crime, and narcotrafficking in this region, which collectively involves actions by the American administration and the United States, and some of our partners at the table addressed this topic,” he remarked.
According to Montenegro, a “positive spirit of reconciliation” prevailed at the EU-CELAC summit.
“That was the dominant spirit I noted: trying to avoid further conflicts, avoiding an escalation to more aggressive stances among international community partners,” he stated.
With over a billion people, the 33 CELAC countries and the 27 EU member states collectively represent 14% of the global population, 21% of the world’s GDP, and one-third of the UN members.
After participating in both the leaders’ meeting in Belém do Pará, Brazil, preceding COP30, and this EU-CELAC summit, the Prime Minister is returning to Portugal today, as the second day of meetings in Santa Marta will involve only European institutional meetings with Caribbean countries, without the participation of EU heads of state and government.
