Echoes of a summit between the European Union and Celak without many expectations

Brussels. – The return of the delegations, although some did so yesterday, invites us to analyze the results of the third summit of the European Union (EU) – Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac), a forum from which not much was expected.

Most of the heads of state and government of blocs on both sides of the Atlantic gathered in Brussels on Monday and Tuesday, in a context marked by the conflict in Ukraine and the West’s efforts to join the world in its crusade against Russia, instead. Searching for a negotiated solution as soon as possible.

The EU was only interested in handling the war, with the aim of forming a global alliance, Colombian President Gustavo Petro, one of the co-leaders, warned the day before.

The issue of the conflict in Ukraine was reflected in the final statement of the meeting, a text that was rejected only by Nicaragua, despite the lack of substance and aggressiveness that the Europeans wanted.

In this sense, it reflected “deep concern” about human suffering and the difficulties it entails for the world economy, a situation in which he called for a just and lasting peace.

The war overshadowed in the media the real center of the EU summit – CELAC III, which, according to the French political scientist who studies Latin America, Slim El Amrani, was nothing more than the construction of bilateral regional relations based on sovereign equality, reciprocity. Interfering in internal affairs.

There are great prospects for cooperation for the common interest of both continents, and this must be the priority in these two summits, as he specified in statements to Prensa Latina.

The academic and writer insisted that the era of neo-colonial relationship, imposition, force, threat, and coercion is over, to give way to dialogue, respect, and understanding.

At the third summit, the event that returned after eight years of absence, voices from the south called for beneficial relations, given the potential of the 60 countries involved, representing one billion inhabitants of the planet.

“I firmly believe that we can and must build better relations: fairer, more balanced, supportive and cooperative to improve the lives of our peoples,” said Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel at the plenary session of heads of state and government.

In his speech, he referred to important cooperation sectors, including development financing, technology transfer, renewable energy, digital transformation, scientific research and innovation, trade and investment.

For his part, Brazilian leader Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva asked that environmental concerns not be used to justify trade protectionism.

On the other hand, the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, affirmed in the press conference that concluded the meeting that the European Union aspires to give a new impetus to the bilateral regional relations.

“We have a lot in common, we want to support the approach of multilateralism and the rules-based international order,” he said.

A few kilometers away, at the Free University of Brussels, another summit, the Summit of Peoples, was categorical in demanding equal relations and warning of the danger of the rise of the far right and the imperial onslaught to divide the world into blocs. .

Social, political, trade union, feminist, environmental and grassroots organizations and movements have led a call for peace, respect and reciprocity, as well as permanent mobilization to fight for a better world.