EU-LAC: the other transatlantic partnership

The 7th Summit of the Americas, held in April 2015 in Panama, brought together thirty-five heads of state and government of the region to address the challenge of fighting inequality across the American continent. The coverage of the summit, however, was largely dominated by the unprecedented presence of Cuban representatives and the historic thaw in US-Cuba relations.

As the US reconsiders its relations with regional counterparts, the EU would also be looking at how to revitalise its own strategic partnerships with the ‘other’ transatlantic partners in the run-up to the 8th EU-LAC (2nd EU-CELAC) summit to be held in Brussels in June 2015. With bilateralism becoming the main channel of cooperation, much attention will be geared towards reinvigorating the multilateral nature of this inter-regional partnership.

Brief by José Luengo-Cabrera.

EU: EEAS: The EU's relations with Latin America and the Caribbean http://www.eeas.europa.eu/lac/index_en.htm

European Council: Meeting: EU-CELAC summit, Brussels, 10-11 June 2015 http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/international-summit/2015/06/10-11/

---