(19 May 2011) According to the Executive Secretary of ECLAC, Alicia Bárcena, who was visiting Montevideo, Uruguay: "We believe that there is a window of opportunity for boosting the strategic partnership between Latin America and the Caribbean and the European Union".
The senior United Nations official gave a presentation entitled "Opportunities for deepening relations between Latin America and Europe" at the 5th Ordinary Plenary Session of the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly (EuroLat) being held there.
"We must strengthen cooperation to deepen integration in the region itself, improve the quality of its exports, ensure better links between the international integration of economies and the globalization of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and lastly we must move towards growth with equality, as promoted by ECLAC", she declared.
She stated that, in the past 30 years, the European Union (EU) has lost some of its share of trade with Latin America, particularly as a destination market for Latin American exports, and that China could replace the EU as the region's second largest trading partner in the medium term.
Despite this, in the first decade of the 21st century the European Union became the main source of foreign direct investment in the region, accounting for 43% of total flows, although a downward trend has now been observed.
Bárcena pointed out that both regions are facing a historic opportunity for integration: "There is the opportunity to share progress by distributing profits with equity, justice and legality, while also building partnerships among producers, researchers and even parliamentarians".
During her visit to Uruguay, Alicia Bárcena also took part in celebrations to mark the country's bicentenary, which took place on 18 May in Las Piedras. The proceedings were presided over by President José Mujica, Vice-President Danilo Astori, the Government's Ministerial Cabinet and the Ministers of Defence of Argentina and Brazil.
Later that day, she attended bilateral meetings with Vice-President Astori, the joint Presidents of EuroLat ( Spanish Member of Parliament, José Ignacio Salafranca, and Peruvian Member of Parliament, Wilbert Bendezu Carpio), and with the Uruguayan Senator Carlos Baráibar, Chair of the Finance and Budget Commission of the Parliament of Uruguay.
Ms. Bárcena also met with representatives from all United Nations agencies and bodies present in Uruguay.
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E-mail: dpisantiago@cepal.org; Tel.: (56 2) 210 2040.
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